Originally Posted by rkkwan
The 2nd hand 744s CX got from SQ are built with PW4084 engines.
And aren't 343 come with CFM-56s only? [I may be mistaken about this, but CX also has a few 2nd ones from SQ, which most likely don't come with RR engines either.]
Good points. I do believe the used 744s will be used for freighters (747-400SF) and not passengers? 343s come with IAE2500 and CFM56s. I think the IAE2500 has some RR involvement (CFM is GE and SNECMA). Have no idea which version CX has. At any rate, CX quite routinely publicises the fact that it has its (pax) a/c are RR-powered.
Maybe that makes the bosses and investors happy, I don't know. But where's the innovation?
Could well be. CX is owned by 2-3 groups with the odd public shareholder. There's the Swire group which manages but doesn't have the largest, let alone majority, shareholding. The other big shareholder(s) is CITIC and some other Chinese entity. So who knows what these group want (someone does but I don't know any of them that well).
They now fall WAY behind bankrupt or once-bankrupt carriers AC and CO in providing non-stops to the E. Coast of N. America. That's so disappointing.
To be fair, CX did reply to Co for HKG-NYC n/s service. Maybe CX sees YYZ as a less-attractive market not worthy of providng n/s service (a trajecture of there being no FC offered on this route.)
I also don't get why they need to follow others in ordering new variations of planes that they already fly.
Once upon a time - say 2002 - they were one of the first carriers to take delivery of the 346; and in 1998 they were the first operator of the 773. So, what's the excuse?
The 346 has apparently been not too good to CX. Reportedly the 3 are early versions overweight in the wings. The 773s were more economical replacements for 742s used on regional routes. I'd say it's hardly a daring innovation. CX's whole 772 and 773 fleet can be seen as respectively replacing the L-1011s and 742s that used to ply the regional routes.