As we edge closer to entry into service, Cathay Pacific has announced the first place where the longer A350 – the A350-1000 will operate between.
And it’s between Hong Kong and Washington DC.
Cathay Pacific A350-900 departing Manchester – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
The airline will launch a four times a week service between Hong Kong and Washington DC in September 2018. This will add to Cathay Pacific’s coverage in the US East Coast – currently serving, Boston, New York-JFK and Newark International
It will be the longest route Cathay Pacific will fly – with a distance o 7,085 nautical miles (8,153 miles, 13,122 kilometres).
Timings according to Cathay Pacific are as follows:
CX 860 DEPART HKG 18:35 ARRIVE IAD 22:20 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturdays CX 861 DEPART IAD 01:15 ARRIVE HKG 05:10 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday Commences 15th September 2018 Booked Equipment: Airbus A350-1000 Data: Cathay Pacific
Announcing the launch of the route, Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Officer Rupert Hogg states:
“Our customers have told us they want greater options and increased flexibility – and we’ve listened,” said Mr Hogg. “Much like Hong Kong, Washington DC is a vibrant and dynamic destination and we are thrilled to soon be providing the only direct flights between these two great cities.
“Establishing new direct air links to destinations that aren’t already served from Hong Kong enhances our city’s status as Asia’s largest international hub and allows us to secure new and important sources of revenue,” he added.
So – onto the cabin. Cathay Pacific have confirmed that this plane will operate a three-class cabin, made up of Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class. Planes will be outfitted with on-board IFE and WiFi connectivity.
As I noted on Sunday, Cathay currently have a fleet of 20 active A350-900s in its fleet. The larger A350-1000 should hold more passengers aboard (and I suspect some of that room will be going to increase Economy and Business Class passengers).
Currently, the airline hasn’t released a seat map for the flight.
As airlines move away from using super-sized jets and moving into right-sized jets for a market, the new generation of big twins (the A350 and B787) have met new markets, and are opening these up to traffic.
Whilst there is a place to hub-to-hub traffic, hub-to-spoke seems to be the real winner these days. With Cathay Pacific using the A350-1000 to launch its service, it’s a reflection of the route.
If you have the miles, and are looking for once heck of a long haul route to redeem them on – this could be one to look into.
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