The Cathay Pacific Group is readying to grow its fleet, with the airline intending to purchase up to 32 Airbus A321neo and A320neo aircraft.
The move comes as it continues to invest in expanding and modernising its fleet, and growing flight connectivity at the Hong Kong international aviation hub. This will bring the Group’s new aircraft deliveries to more than 70.
The Group has already taken delivery of 13 of its initial order for 32 A321neos that it placed in 2017. This intention to purchase will add up to another 32 single-aisle Airbus aircraft to the Group’s fleet.
In Quotes
Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam said:
“We are committed to investing in the long-term future of the Group and the Hong Kong international aviation hub, which is expected to grow exponentially with the operation of the Three-Runway System.
“These aircraft models have been serving Cathay Pacific and HK Express well, allowing us to strengthen the expansion of our Chinese Mainland and regional network for our customers.
“As we strive towards achieving our vision of becoming one of the world’s greatest service brands, we remain committed to continuously investing in our customer experience. These aircraft feature the latest technological enhancements to provide a quieter, more comfortable and more fuel-efficient journey for our customers.”
A much larger group now
With Cathay Pacific absorbing HK Express, as well as fully integrating Cathay Dragon/Dragonair into its mainline fleet, renewal and expansion come into focus, fast.
Currently, HK Express has 11 A320, 10 A320neo and 6 A321 aircraft in its single-alsie fleet. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific itself has 12 A321neo aircraft assigned to it.
32 aircraft will be easy to distribute among the two airlines as they seek to improve connections in the region and as Hong Kong continues to grow after a stunted few years.
Of course, this is nothing until they sign on the dotted line at Airbus or a lessor who will order them on behalf of the airline. We’ll have to see how long the negotiations take.
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