Airbus and Cathay remain confident on the timeline of all 30 A330neos (aka A339) arriving between 2028 and 2031
Cathay says those 30 jets will primarily replace older regional A330s and potentially some regional Boeing 777s on “high-capacity regional routes” but with the potential to bring long-range routes under their wings
Cathay holds purchase rights for an additional 30 A330neos which could be triggered by the desire for even more replacements or more likely, additional growth opportunities opening up
Cathay is already scoping out the A330neo business class product, which may or may not be the same as the forthcoming J flatbed J on the upgraded A330 jets. Vivian Lo: “we’re keeping that open, but I think that could be a sensible thing to do. But at the end of the day it’s not the (seat) supplier, it’s the experience that we design, which will be very much Cathay."
(My take: that doesn't mean the A330neos will have business class recliners instead of flatbeds, it just means the A330neo might not have the exact same seat as the refurb'd A330s – it could be a later improved model from the same manufacturer, or it could even be a less expensive but comparable platform from the same supplier or another, as long as the 'core experience' is the same. And when you think about it, when multiplied across 30 planes those per-seat savings on the bottom line can add up)
Ahead of a 2028 delivery, those seats and the rest of the jet would need to be locked in before the end of 2026.
Airbus and Cathay remain confident on the timeline of all 30 A330neos (aka A339) arriving between 2028 and 2031
Cathay says those 30 jets will primarily replace older regional A330s and potentially some regional Boeing 777s on “high-capacity regional routes” but with the potential to bring long-range routes under their wings
Cathay holds purchase rights for an additional 30 A330neos which could be triggered by the desire for even more replacements or more likely, additional growth opportunities opening up
Cathay is already scoping out the A330neo business class product, which may or may not be the same as the forthcoming J flatbed J on the upgraded A330 jets. Vivian Lo: “we’re keeping that open, but I think that could be a sensible thing to do. But at the end of the day it’s not the (seat) supplier, it’s the experience that we design, which will be very much Cathay."
(My take: that doesn't mean the A330neos will have business class recliners instead of flatbeds, it just means the A330neo might not have the exact same seat as the refurb'd A330s – it could be a later improved model from the same manufacturer, or it could even be a less expensive but comparable platform from the same supplier or another, as long as the 'core experience' is the same. And when you think about it, when multiplied across 30 planes those per-seat savings on the bottom line can add up)
Ahead of a 2028 delivery, those seats and the rest of the jet would need to be locked in before the end of 2026.
