Cathay Pacific Airways has signed a letter of intent to purchase 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, and plans to exercise purchase rights for six Boeing 777-300ERs.
The total value of the aircraft purchases is about HK$75 billion ($9.7 billion) at list price, says the Oneworld carrier. The A350s, to be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, have a catalogue price of about $7.8 billion. The General Electric-powered 777s have a list price of $1.6 billion.
Cathay expects the A350s to be delivered between 2016 and 2019. The A350-900, which will enter service in 2013, will “form the backbone of Cathay Pacific’s future mid-sized wide-body fleet”, says the carrier.
It will operate the aircraft across its route network, including on non-stop flights to Europe and North America.
“The A350-900 is a perfect fit for the development of our fleet – a mid-size long-haul aircraft that is fuel efficient, environmentally friendly, and provides the kind of capacity, range and operating economics that we need to complement and enhance our existing fleet,” says Cathay’s CEO Tony Tyler.
“The delivery schedule fits our requirements very neatly. The 30 new aircraft will be deployed to replace older aircraft and grow our fleet to meet the challenges of the future.”
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/08/04/345740/cathay-to-purchase-30-a350s-and-six-777s.html
By: KabirT - 8th August 2010 at 06:33
Cathay A350 deal may spur Boeing’s 777 successor drive
After a summer dominated by talk of re-engining or replacing its narrowbody workhorse, Boeing’s 777 widebody could move to the front of the clean-sheet queue, but blue chip customer Cathay Pacific’s order for 30 300-seat Airbus A350-900s could shape the manner of the airframer’s response.
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th August 2010 at 17:27
I’m sure they did, but I was thinking of the 787’s construction method.
Is the A350 the same? I don’t know that much about it yet.
By: ThreeSpool - 5th August 2010 at 17:24
Yes, I would have thought that after the A380 mess, Airbus wiould want the A350 to come out roughly on time. Also, they’d have the benefit of learning from Boeing’s experience with the 787.
I believe people said the same of Boeing over the A380 production problems. 😀
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th August 2010 at 11:38
Yes, I would have thought that after the A380 mess, Airbus would want the A350 to come out roughly on time. Also, they’d have the benefit of learning from Boeing’s experience with the 787.
By: airbusfanalways - 5th August 2010 at 10:24
They expect the 350 to come out on time?
Airbus has done a lot of work to ensure the A350 comes out as close to schedule as possible having made some horrendous balls ups with the A380. I think their will inevitably be a small delay but I don’t think it will be anything near the extent of the A380 and 787.
By: sekant - 4th August 2010 at 12:18
They expect the 350 to come out on time?
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August 4, 2010 at 12:16 pm