Cathay Pacific (CX, Hong Kong International) has issued a request for proposal (RfP) to Boeing and Airbus to supply it with widebody aircraft, Bloomberg reported citing sources close to the matter.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Cathay already has thirty A330-900N, six A350F, and twenty-one B777-9 widebodies on order but is also interested in A350 and B787 types, as well as potentially more of the delayed B777X types. The future order's size remains undecided, the sources said, but likely to include options.
Any order would also need to accommodate Cathay's growth plans. Last year, the airline committed to spending around USD12.8 billion on upgrades, including new aircraft, over the next seven years. Hong Kong International Airport also recently opened a third runway, allowing Cathay and other operators to increase aircraft movement numbers.
In 2024, Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary HK Express (UO, Hong Kong International) flew more than 28 million passengers, an increase of 30.7% compared to 2023. Passenger load factors rose 3.6% to 84.8%.
"Looking ahead, we remain firmly focused on further strengthening Hong Kong’s status as a leading international aviation hub, adding more flights and destinations for both passengers and cargo customers," said Cathay Group CCO Lavinia Lau.
Any order is not likely to result in deliveries before 2030, given that production slots at both manufacturers are very heavily booked for the remainder of this decade.
Cathay Pacific did not respond to a request for comment.
Aside from the widebodies on order, Cathay Pacific also has fifteen A321-200NX due. Its present mainline fleet includes one (inactive) A320-200, sixteen A321-200NX, forty-three A330-300s, thirty A350-900s, eighteen A350-1000s, six B747-400ERFs, fourteen B747-8Fs, seventeen B777-300s, and thirty-six B777-300ERs, making a total of 181 aircraft. Cathay Pacific flies to 92 airports in 33 countries.
