Sydney de Kantzow
Sydney Hugh de Kantzow | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Austinmer, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | November 21, 1957 (aged 43) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, pilot |
| Known for | Co-founding Cathay Pacific Airways |
Sydney Hugh ("Syd") de Kantzow (9 November 1914 – 21 November 1957) was an Australian entrepreneur who co-established Cathay Pacific Airways together with American Roy Farrell.
Originating from Austinmer, New South Wales, de Kantzow descended from a family with Polish and Swedish roots and was raised in the Sydney suburb of Roseville, New South Wales. During World War II, he served as a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force. Both de Kantzow and Farrell were former military aviators who navigated the demanding "The Hump" air route across the Himalayas. Notably, de Kantzow was personally chosen by Soong Mei-ling to serve as her pilot. His contributions to the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) earned him the Order of the Cloud and Banner, and he was also honored with the Burma Star for his involvement in relief missions.
De Kantzow and Farrell initially operated out of Shanghai but later moved their base to Hong Kong to launch Cathay Pacific Airways. The airline's name combines "Cathay," an archaic designation for China, with "Pacific," representing Farrell’s ambition to develop transpacific routes. The Chinese name of the airline translates to "Grand and Peaceful State."
In the formative years of Cathay Pacific, Farrell oversaw shipping logistics while de Kantzow concentrated on flying duties. The first group of pilots earned the nickname "Syd's Pirates."
De Kantzow left Cathay Pacific in 1951 and tragically passed away in a high-speed automobile accident in 1957. He and his wife, Angela Mary, had a son, Peter de Kantzow, who later became a director and co-founder of Waterfront Air based in Hong Kong.