From ATI, last sentence sums it up
“I've got 48 aircraft on firm order right now up to 2012 so we are not in a hurry to do anything on large aircraft,” Tony Tyler (CEO of Cathay) says.


Article below:

Cathay seeking more A320s, A330s
Nicholas Ionides, Bangkok (16Nov07, 06:35 GMT, 313 words)

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways is seeking to acquire at least 10 more Airbus narrowbodies and widebodies for its own operations and those of subsidiary Dragonair to expand services within Asia.

CEO Tony Tyler said in Bangkok on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines that the Oneworld alliance carrier is seeking A320s and A330s for growth in the region, rather than for replacement purposes.

“We are looking at it now. It will probably be single figures for both, adding up to double digits,” Tyler said in an interview.

He says Cathay expects it will have to lease, rather than purchase, the aircraft as Airbus will not be able to provide delivery within its hoped-for time period. Airbus says its A320 and A330 lines are effectively sold out until around 2012 or 2013.

Tyler declined to say if a request for proposals has been issued to Airbus or leasing companies.

Cathay already operates A330-300s, as does wholly owned subsidiary Dragonair. Dragonair also operates narrowbody A320-family aircraft.

Cathay already has three A330-300s on order, according to Flight’s ACAS database, in addition to orders for six Boeing 747-400ER freighters and 22 Boeing 777-300ERs.

It recently announced plans to order another seven 777-300ERs as well as 10 747-8 freighters.

Tyler says the 14 purchase rights it will also be taking on 747-8Fs incorporate “some sort of mechanism” for them to be converted to orders for passenger variants but there are no plans to consider that at this stage.

Cathay has long been seen by Airbus as a potential A380 customer and by Boeing as a potential 747-8 customer but Tyler reiterates that the airline is in no rush to order ultra-large passenger aircraft.

“I've got 48 aircraft on firm order right now up to 2012 so we are not in a hurry to do anything on large aircraft,” he says.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news