Cathay Pacific Aircraft Services has placed a firm order with Airbus for thirty A330-900s with purchase rights for another thirty to renew the A330 fleet of Cathay Pacific (CX, Hong Kong International).
The Hong Kong carrier said that all thirty firm-ordered aircraft are due for delivery by the end of 2031 and will replace its mid-size widebody fleet, which currently comprises forty-three A330-300s which are 16 years old on average.
Cathay Pacific said the -900s will be used mainly on its regional medium-haul Asian network with the flexibility to be used on long-haul sectors in the future. The transaction will be financed through a mix of bank loans, finance leases, sale and leasebacks, and cash.
The order fits the broader Cathay fleet renewal programme in which it recently firmed options for A320neo Family aircraft. It currently has unfilled orders for eight A320-200Ns and thirty-six A321-200NX due for Cathay Pacific and its LCC affiliate HK Express (UO, Hong Kong International). The airline also has an order for twenty-one B777-9s to replace part of its fleet of B777-300(ER)s, which currently comprises 38 aircraft.
Cathay Pacific's passenger fleet currently also consists of twelve A321-200NX, thirty A350-900s, eighteen A350-1000s, and seventeen B777-300s.
