Cathay Pacific announces mega 25 Boeings order

Monday, 6 January 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Becomes first Asia Pacific airline to order Boeing 777-9X Cathay Pacific Airways last week announced that it has ordered a further four aircraft from The Boeing Company as part of its ongoing fleet modernisation program.

Following on from last week’s announcement regarding the purchase of 21 Boeing 777-9X aircraft, the airline confirmed that it will also purchase another three Boeing 777-300ER airplanes along with one more Boeing 747-8 freighter. The list price of these additional purchases is HK$ 7.4 billion at list prices. The airline expects to take delivery of the three Boeing 777-300ERs in 2015 and the Boeing 747-8 freighter in 2016. Both aircraft types are already extensively employed by Cathay Pacific on its long-haul passenger and freighter routes. The airline currently operates 38 Boeing 777-300ERs and with this latest purchase will have 15 more of the type on order for delivery between 2014 and 2015. Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar said: “We are very pleased to confirm this latest aircraft purchase from The Boeing Company. Both the 777-300ER and the 747-8F offer a highly efficient solution on Cathay Pacific’s ultra-long-haul routes, combining superb operating economics with a significant reduction in emissions. These two aircraft types will form the backbone of our long-haul passenger and freighter fleets through to the end of the decade.” The latest freighter purchase means that Cathay Pacific will operate 14 Boeing 747-8Fs by 2016. Both aircraft types deliver improved payload range capability at competitive operating costs, along with a reduced impact on the environment. As at the end of the December, the Cathay Pacific fleet consists of 140 wide-body aircraft. Following the latest purchase announcement, the airline is set to take delivery of a total of 93 aircraft from 2014 to 2024, at an aggregate list price of approximately HK$ 222 billion.