Cathay Pacific fleet

Cathay Pacific operates an all-wide-body fleet composed of Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777 aircraft.

Current

Airbus A330-300

Boeing 777-300ER

Airbus A350-900

Boeing 747-8F (in Hong Kong Trader livery)

Cathay Pacific operates a four-class configuration on most of its Boeing 777-300ER fleet, three-class configurations on remaining Boeing 777-300ER, all Airbus A340-300, Airbus A350-900 and most long-haul Airbus A330-300 aircraft to Australia, and two-class configurations on all regional-configured aircraft as well as select long-haul Airbus A330-300's to the Middle East and India. The Boeing customer code for Cathay Pacific is 67 (e.g. 777-367ER). As of October 2016, the Cathay Pacific passenger fleet comprises the following aircraft:^[1]

Passenger fleet plans

Cleaning a Boeing 747-400 at London Heathrow Airport

On 4 August 2010, it was confirmed that Cathay Pacific would buy 30 A350-900s and six more 777-300ERs.^[4] On 8 March 2011, it was reported that the airline had ordered another 15 A330-300s and 10 777-300ERs. The deal also included two more A350-900s, to be leased from ILFC.^[5] On 10 August 2011, Cathay Pacific entered into an agreement with Boeing to purchase four 777-300ER passenger aircraft and eight Boeing 777F Freighters.^[6] On 20 January 2012, it was confirmed that Cathay Pacific would buy another six A350-900s.^[7] At the 2012 Farnborough Airshow, it was confirmed that Cathay would order 10 A350-1000s and convert 16 A350-900s to the bigger −1000.^[8]

Cathay Pacific launched Premium Economy Class on its new 777-300ERs in March 2012. The aircraft feature 40 Business Class, 32 Premium Economy Class and 268 Economy Class seats with the absence of a First Class cabin.^[9] Premium Economy Class service on its new A330-300s was available from March 2012; the aircraft are configured with 38 Business Class, 28 Premium Economy Class and 175 Economy Class seats.^[10] Premium Economy Class will also be offered on 4-class 777-300ERs and 747-400s from summer 2012.^[11][12][13] 28 Premium economy seats are also offered on the new Cathay Pacific A350-900 aircraft, although the seats are slightly narrower than on the 777.^[14]

On 20 December 2013, the airline placed an order for 21 Boeing 777-9X aircraft at a listed price of HK$58 billion.

Cargo

A Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-8F taxis at John F. Kennedy International Airport. This plane is the 100th Boeing plane ordered by the airline.

Cathay Pacific Cargo operates a fleet of over 20 freighters to more than 40 destinations around the world, in addition to utilising the cargo space on its passenger aircraft. The cargo subsidiary was established in 1981 with a twice-a-week Hong Kong–Frankfurt–London service operated jointly with Lufthansa.^[15] The cargo division ranked fifth in the freight category of the 2008 The World's Top 25 Airlines by Air Transport World.^[16] Cathay Pacific Cargo handles most of the airlines' passenger cargo. Together with its cargo routes, it serves more than 80 destinations and is able to operate to destinations that are not in the Cathay Pacific passenger network.

Cargo fleet notes

Boeing 747-200F at Melbourne Airport (2007).

On 5 October 2005, the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter (Boeing 747-400BCF) aircraft that was converted from passenger configuration to a freighter in Xiamen, China. Cathay Pacific Cargo is the launch customer for this aircraft model and it was also the first time Boeing had conducted a major flight test program outside the United States.^[18] On 22 June 2006, the airline ordered six Boeing 747-400ERF freighters, delivered in 2008 and 2009.^[19] On 31 October 2011, Cathay Pacific took delivery of its first Boeing 747-8F.^[20] Eighteen months after the first delivery, the airline ordered an additional three 747-8F in lieu of the eight 777-200F originally ordered. As part of the agreement, Boeing will re-acquire four 747-400BCF from Cathay Pacific group as well.^[21]

On 18 March 2008, Airport Authority Hong Kong (HKAA) awarded Cathay Pacific Services Ltd (CPSL), a wholly owned subsidiary, a non-exclusive 20-year franchise to invest in, design, construct and operate a new air cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), to be built in the cargo area at the airport, close to the existing cargo servicing facilities, with a site area of approximately 10 hectares. The new cargo terminal will be operated by a separate management team in CPSL.^[22] On 15 January 2009, CPSL signed a supplementary agreement with the HKAA to defer the completion of its new cargo terminal by a maximum of 24 months to mid-2013, in response to the current market conditions. A non-disclosed compensation amount for the deferral is included in the supplementary agreement.^[23] Architecture firm Aedas is designing Cargo Terminal.^[24]

Special liveries

In 1997, a Boeing 747-200 (B-HIB) named Spirit of Hong Kong, with a special livery, a big traditional Chinese brushstroke character "家" (means family/home), a traditional Chinese wording "繁榮進步 更創新高" painted on the left side of the aircraft and a wording "The Spirit of Hong Kong 97" painted on the right side of the aircraft, to commemorate the handover of Hong Kong back to China.^[25] On 17 January 2000, Spirit of Hong Kong made a return on a Boeing 747-400 (B-HOX) to celebrate the legendary resilience of Hong Kong with a new special livery depicts a young athlete overcoming a series of challenges to reach his goal. A special wording "Same Team. Same Dream." was painted on the left side of the aircraft and a traditional Chinese wording "積極進取 飛越更高理想" was painted on the right side of the aircraft.^[26][27][28] On 30 July 2013, Spirit of Hong Kong made another return, this time, on a Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPB). The livery features 110 people who represent the extraordinary spirit of Hong Kong people. The livery also has the wordings "The Spirit of Hong Kong 香港精神號" The livery is actually an online contest held by Cathay Pacific to call on Hong Kong people to submit creative entries that illustrate the true spirit of the city – along with a full-body photograph of themselves. The judging panel then chose 100 winners and 10 champions – and their silhouettes have been painted on the plane.^[29][30]

Airbus A330-300 fuselage livery. This aircraft was named Progress Hong Kong.

On 5 July 2002, a Boeing 747-400 (B-HOY), named Asia's world city, carried a special livery, the "Asia's world city" brandline, the Brand Hong Kong logotype and the dragon symbol, to promote Hong Kong around the world.^[31] In January 2008, a new Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPF) was painted in the Asia's world city livery.^[32]

On 29 August 2006, the airline took delivery of its 100th aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 with the registration B-LAD. For the aircraft acceptance ceremony in Toulouse, the aircraft was painted in a 100th aircraft livery with a 60th anniversary sticker behind the second doors (2L and 2R), the wording "100th aircraft", and the traditional Chinese wording "進步精神" painted on the rear of the aircraft.^[33] The aircraft was named Progress Hong Kong, a name that was chosen from a competition by the staff.^[33][34]

In November 2011, Cathay received its second 747-8 Freighter (B-LJA) which was painted in the Hong Kong Trader livery. The livery was designed to commemorate the topping out of the new Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal. The name of the livery is taken from Cathay Pacific’s very first 747 freighter which entered the fleet in 1982.

Currently, a total of three Cathay Pacific aircraft are painted in the Oneworld livery to commemorate the alliance's 10th anniversary. On 12 March 2009, Cathay Pacific's first Oneworld aircraft, an Airbus A340-300 (B-HXG), was painted in the new, standard Oneworld livery. An additional aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 (B-HLU), has also been painted in the Oneworld livery while a brand-new Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPL) was painted and delivered on 17 October 2009.^[35][36][37]

Fleet history

Betsy

Since its conception in 1946, the airline had operated many types of aircraft. The first two aircraft were two World War II surplus Douglas DC-3s named Betsy and Niki. Betsy (VR-HDB), the first aircraft for Cathay Pacific, is now a permanent exhibit in the Hong Kong Science Museum. Niki (VR-HDA) was lost, but a similar DC-3 was purchased as a replacement. It was refurbished and repainted by the airline's Engineering Department and maintenance provider, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company, and it now wears the second Cathay Pacific livery from the late 1940s. This aircraft received Niki's old VR-HDA aircraft registration and is now on public view in the car park outside the Flight Training Center of Cathay City.^[38]

References