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.
What Cathay does say is that “the Airbus Aircraft will expand the fleet capacity of the Company. They will principally serve long-haul destinations in North America, South America and Europe. The Company expects that the Airbus Aircraft will deliver improved efficiency and capability of the fleet of the Company over time at competitive operating costs.”
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