It has been a quiet year for new full-freighter orders so far, but Cathay Pacific has set things in motion again. The Hong Kong-based carrier confirmed a firm order today for six Airbus A350Fs plus 20 options to be delivered by the end of 2029. The order would have a gross value of $2.7 billion, but Cathay has received significant price concessions.
Cathay already said in a November 28 announcement that it was in discussion about “a possible acquisition of freighter aircraft”, which is now duly confirmed on December 8. Why the airline prefers the A350F over the Boeing 777-8F and if the latter is still in the game for a subsequent order isn’t clear from the stock exchange filing. However, with purchase rights for another 20 A350Fs, it seems likely that Cathay Cargo will build its future fleet around the new Airbus model that was launched in 2021.
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
