Edward Fotheringham joins airline from Premier Inn owner Whitbread as regional head of marketing and sales.

Lisa Delaney, meanwhile, takes up role of regional head of marketing and digital sales. She joins the airline from Qatar Airways.

The pair will be based at Cathay’s London office and will oversee its entire European operation, which extends to 14 routes across 10 countries.

These include flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Dublin airports. Cathay operates 49 weekly non-stop departures from its three UK airports, and a further four from Dublin.

In their new roles, Fotheringham and Delaney will implement the airline’s new brand vision, Move Beyond, which will aim to “maximise growth” in the UK and Europe.

Fotheringham has previously worked for British Airways in a number of roles, most recently as country head for South Korea. Delaney’s background is in international marketing, assisting major clients such as Motorola and Ford.

Cathay will launch a new business class experience late this year to complement its “modernised dining proposition” on all long-haul flights.

It is also investing in new seats, Wi-Fi across most long-haul aircraft, and an enhanced food and drink offering across all cabin classes, and has recently upgraded its digital platform.