• Home
  • About
    • Where has GhettoIFE gone?
    • For PR’s and Agencies (Changes and Corrections)
    • Privacy Policy
  • Snapshots
  • Trip Reports
  • Travel Plus…
    • … Technology
    • … Photography

Economy Class & Beyond

You are here: Home / New Aircraft News / Cathay Group picks the Airbus A350F

Cathay Group picks the Airbus A350F

08/12/2023 by Kevincm

Cathay Group will be adding further Airbus A350s to its fleet – in the form of the cargo variant, the A350F.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A350F - Rendering, Airbus

The aircraft will operate under the group’s cargo division – Cathay Cargo. This order covers the purchase agreement for six aircraft.

The A350F is currently under development. It is planned to carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and fly up to 4,700 nautical miles / 8,700 kilometres at a lower cost than current freighters. This will enable it to serve all heavy cargo markets, including the world’s biggest freight route between Hong Kong and Anchorage.

In Quotes

Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam said:

“As we move into 2024, our rebuild journey is gaining momentum. This order marks another major component in our investment for the future. It reflects Cathay’s confidence in the Hong Kong hub as we look ahead to the opportunities provided by the Three-Runway System.”

“These highly fuel-efficient, next-generation freighters will provide important additional cargo capacity, expand our global network and contribute to our sustainability leadership goals.”

Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International said:

 “There’s a new standard in the cargo space and we are gratified that such a savvy global air-cargo operator as Cathay has joined the growing number of reference players in the air-freight industry endorsing the A350F.”

“The aircraft will fit seamlessly with Cathay’s existing A350 passenger fleet, while lowering operating costs to a level never before seen in increasingly competitive cargo markets. At the same time, it will bring a very significant reduction in carbon emissions, contributing immediately to sustainability goals.”

Welcoming further Airbus A350s

Cathay Group is already one of the largest operators of the A350, with a current fleet of 47 aircraft. These include the A350-900 and A350-1000, primarily operated on the carrier’s long-haul route network via Cathay Pacific.

With the A350F planned to fly with  Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB97 engines, the aircraft will bring a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% when compared with the older 747F – something important as airlines seek to reduce emissions, along with a 46-tonne lighter take-off weight.

It marks the 2nd Asisan airline to have taken the A350F – and it seems this interest is only going to grow in the type.


Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond. Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.

Our Social Media pool has expanded. You can find us across most networks as @economybeyond on Twitter, Mastodon, BlueSky,  Threads and Instagram!

Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.

Related

Filed Under: New Aircraft News

  • Bluesky
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Mastodon
  • RSS
  • Threads

Recent Posts

  • Cathay Pacific introduces new ‘Chinese Classics’ dining offerings for Business class customers
  • Eurowings to introduce a Business Class Seat for Medium Haul Services
  • Thai Airways to use the Recaro R3 seat for their upcoming A321neo aircraft
  • Data Storage Adventures with a UGreen NAS – Part 2: Which NAS to go for?
  • Air Niugini adds a further two Airbus A220 aircraft

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates daily and to hear what's going on with us!

Privacy Policy
Copyright © Economy Class & Beyond All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Economy Class & Beyond with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.