Summary
- Cathay Pacific is looking to interchange its older midsized widebody aircraft and has reached out to Airbus and Boeing for information.
- The airline is reportedly considering Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Airbus A330neos, or Airbus A350 widebody aircraft for the potential order.
- If placed, this might be Cathay’s largest order for widebody aircraft in a decade because the airline looks to get well from the financial impact of the pandemic and stimulate growth.
The Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific is searching for to interchange a few of its older midsized widebody aircraft and has issued a request for more information to Airbus and Boeing regarding its widebody aircraft, in accordance with a report by Bloomberg.
The airline is reportedly considering Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Airbus A330neos, or Airbus A350 aircraft for the potential multi-billion order. The particular aircraft alternative and the timing of the order placement are currently unknown.
In a comment to Easy Flying, the carrier affirmed the continuing evaluation of options for a flexible midsized widebody aircraft. Cathay Pacific said:
“Cathay is committed to continuing to take a position in expanding and modernising our fleet with state-of-the-art aircraft to support our growth plans. We recurrently review our fleet development plans in accordance with our future requirements. We’re evaluating options for a flexible, mid-sized widebody aircraft that may undertake a spread of missions and grow our passenger and cargo business.”
Photo: Terry K | Shutterstock
The airline shunned making significant orders recently because it grappled with the financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted the airline severely. Probably the most recent orders were for Airbus A350 freighters and single-aisle jets reminiscent of the A320neo and the A321neo.
Other than six A350 freighters, Cathay Pacific has eight A320neo and 28 A321neo aircraft within the pipeline with the European aircraft manufacturer. As well as, the carrier has 21 Boeing 777X widebodies on order with Boeing, a plane maker whose aircraft have traditionally held a dominant position in Cathay’s fleet, in accordance with ch-aviation. Nevertheless, in recent times, there was a noticeable shift in favor of Airbus.
Aging widebody fleet
The Hong Kong full-service carrier currently has a fleet of 190 aircraft at a median age of 13.3 years old, as per ch-aviation data. The fleet comprises 56 Boeing 777s, 51 Airbus A330s, 48 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 747 freighters, 14 Airbus A321s, and a single Airbus A320 aircraft.
Amongst its widebody fleet, the oldest aircraft consist of Airbus A330-300s and Boeing 777-300s. The airline’s 51 A330-300s currently have a median age of 17.1 years, while the airline’s 17 777-300s have a median age of twenty-two.4 years.
Cathay Pacific Blames End Of Yr Flight Cancelations On Crew Illness
The airline anticipated that greater than 50 flights could be axed over the weekend.
Despite a few of its aging widebody aircraft, Cathay has plans to refurbish the cabins with a brand new cabin product and introduce latest lounges, amongst other enhancements. In a comment to Easy Flying, the airline said:
“Now we have clear and substantial investment plans to reinforce our customer experience offering, including latest aircraft, latest cabin products, latest lounges, and more.
“We’re excited to be bringing our customers an all-new Business class experience – Aria Suite this yr as a part of a redesign of our long-haul Boeing 777-300ER cabins. This will probably be followed by a brand new world-leading First-class experience onboard our 777-9 aircraft, the primary of which is scheduled to hitch our fleet in end 2025.”
Cathay on the slow path to recovery
Cathay Pacific, once considered one of Asia’s hottest and revered airlines, entered the pandemic era already experiencing a decline, and from that time onward, matters swiftly worsened. Three years post the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline continues to grapple with challenges in restoring and attaining its pre-pandemic capability levels.
Photo: heychli | Shutterstock
As of the fourth quarter of 2023, data indicates a considerable 31% decline in Cathay Pacific’s Available Seat Miles (ASMs) in comparison with the identical period in 2019. This contrasts with a mere -1% decline observed globally for all airlines. Despite the slow recovery, Cathay Pacific anticipates a full-year profit in 2023.
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Australasia is the best-recovered area for the airline.
What are your thoughts on Cathay’s potential future order for midsized aircraft? Which widebody could be best for its fleet renewal? Tell us within the comments section below.