Leaving home, seeing the world: The Filipino journeys Cathay Pacific helps make possible
for Cathay Pacific
MANILA, Philippines — How many people have the opportunity to spend a meaningful part of their working lives in the same company as their father or son?
For Rene and Simon Miranda, Cathay Pacific (Cathay) became that rare common ground. For eight years, both father and son belonged to the same airline, though they worked in very different parts of it: Rene in engineering, where aircraft safety and readiness were at the center of every decision, and Simon in reservations and later cargo, where the work behind the scenes helped move goods, businesses and communities across borders.
As Cathay marks its 80th anniversary in 2026, their story offers a special, personal look at the Filipino journeys behind Cathay's legacy. It is a story of aviation as a family language, professional discipline, and a shared workplace where a son built his own path while carrying values first learnt from his father.
A father's path in aviation
Rene's Cathay journey began in 1984, after he saw a job advertisement in the Manila Bulletin. He was working as an engineer in an oil company then, but he wanted a career that would allow him to apply his training in a more practical, hands-on way. The recruitment process was highly competitive. “I believe there were more than a thousand applicants,” Rene said. After multiple rounds of interviews, he was offered the position.
The early years required constant adaptability and agility—engineering work meant responding to operational needs, addressing technical issues, coordinating closely with the team, and helping ensure that Cathay aircraft could depart safely and on schedule. Albeit challenging, the work was meaningful and purposeful.
“What I remember most vividly were the early days of adjustment,” Rene said. “While the role demanded a high level of commitment, it also fostered a strong sense of camaraderie, mutual support and shared purpose within the engineering team. It was challenging work, especially with the responsibility of helping keep aircraft safe and ready to fly, but it also became the start of a career that would shape the rest of my life.”
In aircraft engineering, Rene found work where precision, judgment, and teamwork mattered deeply. He went through extensive training, licensing, and aircraft type certifications, building a career that would eventually include leadership roles in Cathay and other airlines. After a period away from Cathay, he later rejoined the airline on July 16, 2008.
His return as engineering manager, or head of Engineering in Manila, became especially meaningful because it allowed him to mentor younger engineers, help shape the team’s culture, and support future generations of aviation professionals.
“To me, aviation represents one of the highest forms of applied engineering because every decision affects safety and reliability,” he said.
A son finds his own path
Simon, meanwhile, grew up with the world of aviation in the background. Throughout Rene’s career, Cathay was often a part of family conversations, occasional company events, and fond childhood memories. He was fascinated by airplanes and once imagined becoming a fighter pilot, but his path led him to business studies, then to ground handling and passenger service in the early part of his career.
Before joining Cathay, Simon was already working at the airport, where he would see the airline’s aircraft parked beside the gates he was handling. Over time, the idea of one day working for the airline began to take shape.
In 2006, he finally joined Cathay’s reservations department before later transferring to Cathay Cargo. He joined at exactly the same age his father did—27 years old. This September, Simon marks 20 years with the company as a cargo services officer based in Manila.
For Simon, joining Cathay was also about building a name of his own and getting recognised for his own work. Even when father and son shared the same workplace, they kept clear professional boundaries. Over time, Simon earned his place through his own efforts, with Rene giving him the room to grow.
Eight years of being together in Cathay
That shared chapter made Cathay more than a workplace for the family. For eight years, father and son were part of the same organization, attended company events, shared travel experiences, and built memories together.
They may have worked in different departments, but they were connected by a special bond: one generation helping keep aircraft safe and ready to fly, the next contributing to the movement of goods, businesses, and communities.
One memory that captures that continuity came on Rene's final day with Cathay in 2016, which coincided with the arrival of the airline’s first Airbus A350 flight to Manila. Father and son were able to take a photo together on a day that marked both a professional milestone and a family transition—one chapter closing for Rene, and the continuation of another for Simon.
Purposeful work that connects
At Cathay Cargo, Simon discovered a side of aviation that most passengers rarely see, yet countless people depend on. His work involves coordinating shipments, planning loads, working with handling agents, and resolving operational challenges. The human impact of this work became especially evident during the pandemic, when he helped manage what he recalls was the first COVID-19 vaccine shipment to arrive in the Philippines.
“It reminded us that cargo isn't just about goods—it supports communities,” Simon said.
Rene's career also took him beyond the Philippines. After retiring from Cathay in Manila in 2016, he moved to Hong Kong and worked with HAECO, or Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company, for a few years. The experience exposed him to different cultures and work practices, while strengthening his appreciation for Filipino talent in global aviation.
“It made me proud to see Filipinos succeeding and leading in aviation around the world,” Rene said.
For both Mirandas, aviation has always carried professional and personal meaning. It opened opportunities to see the world and experience different cultures, but it also reinforced the importance of family. Rene said that throughout his career, major decisions were guided by one principle: keeping the family together whenever possible. Simon, meanwhile, saw travel as something that could expand horizons while keeping home as an anchor.
A family story of Filipino journeys
Their story reflects a wider Filipino truth: journeys are often about more than reaching a destination. They are about building a career, supporting a family, taking a first step abroad, returning home, or helping others move across borders with purpose.
When asked what Cathay means to them personally, Rene called it “opportunity, growth, and a rewarding career.” Simon described it as “purpose and continuity.”
That continuity is at the heart of the Miranda family's Cathay journey. Together, their story shows how Cathay's 80-year legacy is reflected not only in aircraft and routes, but also in the Filipino people whose work has helped make life's journeys possible.
Editor’s Note: This press release is sponsored by Cathay Pacific. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.
