Originally Posted by
lixiaojuventus
I think that many of CX's A330's have become quite old (15+ years), but I am not aware of any replacement plans. So what will be the future backbones for CX's short-haul and mid-haul flights? Will CX buy more A330's? A350 and B77W will simply be too large for short-haul and mid-haul flights, right?
6 of the oldest KA A330s are disappearing and 6 old-ish CX regional config ones are being transferred over in the next 18 months. The cycled/houred out equipment will continue to be retired.
Still plenty of life left (10+ years) in most of the A330s. I suspect CX will continue trickling the old equipment to KA who will flog them to death until the scrapyard calls.
32 A350s delivered since mid-2016 to replace 5 B77W, 4(?) A340s, 3 B744 and 8 (soon to be 14) A330s. Seems like the regional replacement is either the A350 itself, or the B77W as the A350 continues to see nearly every longhaul route. (Only JNB/LHR/MXP/JFK/LAX/BOS/ORD don't see the Airbus, and still 16 A350s are to be delivered).
The A330CEO is more efficient than the NEO on the routes CX operates it regionally, so I don't see an order likely there. Maybe taking on young/mid-life off-lease ones like AC is doing would be financially smart.
I could see the 787-10 appearing to replace A330s longer term, maybe even with a deal on reducing the semi white elephant 777-9 order. But that's just a small probability, CX likely got such a steal on the 21 current orders that they'll take them.