Cathay Pacific holds successful second annual Hackathon competition

The competition was fast and fierce as over 100 tech-savvy, business-minded youngsters gathered together at the “battleground” of Cathay Pacific City to try and outdo each other in creating workable technology solutions that enhance the experience of the airline’s customers.

The dynamic and fun-filled Hackathon represents Cathay Pacific’s ongoing commitment to developing local talents across various sectors of the aviation industry. This year’s extravaganza produced a number of exceptional concepts, with the winning teams earning tickets to destinations of their choice across the airline’s worldwide network and Asia Miles.

First prize went to a team of five students from the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, who developed a concept they named “TouchCX”.

TouchCX would allow customers to request inflight services – such as pillows and food and drinks – through technology known as NFC (Near Field Communication), allowing delivery of the items without the need for the inflight service call.

Lead developer Lam Tsan-shing said: “This Hackathon event was great fun and very meaningful for all of us. Our mentors taught us so much about presentation skills and we also learned a lot from fellow participants about ideas and technical experience. Many thanks to Cathay Pacific for this opportunity.”

Aside from claiming the overall champions’ prize, Lam and his team also won the Inflight Entertainment (IFE) Challenge, thereby earning the opportunity to visit Dublin, one of the latest destinations announced by Cathay Pacific and considered by many as the digital capital of Europe.

SOURCE: Cathay Pacific Airways Limited

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