Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific expands cargo business with purchase of 6 Airbus planes and right to buy 20 more

“This order marks another major component in our investment for the future. It reflects Cathay’s confidence in the Hong Kong hub as we look ahead to the opportunities provided by the three-runway system,” said group CEO Ronald Lam.

“These highly fuel-efficient, next-generation freighters will provide important additional cargo capacity, expand our global network and contribute to our sustainability leadership goals,” he added.

Hong Kong was ranked the world’s busiest cargo hub in 2022, with a total of 4.2 million tonnes of goods handled that year.

Cathay said the new freighters would link Hong Kong and mainland China with long-haul destinations in North and South America as well as Europe. The purchase agreement brings the group’s new aircraft deliveries to 77.

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The group has a freighter fleet of 20 Boeing 747 freighters, including 14 B747-8Fs and six B747-400ERFs. In addition to freighter capacity, Cathay Cargo provides belly capacity through the group’s extensive passenger network of around 80 destinations worldwide.

The group’s order book includes 21 Boeing 777-9 widebody passenger aircraft scheduled to be delivered from 2025 and a total of 49 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft expected to be delivered by 2029.

The airline announced in late July last year that it would bring back more than 100 or 70 per cent passenger planes parked in the desert surrounding the town of Alice Springs in Australia, where one-third of its fleet previously sat idle.