Cathay prefers 747ADV over A380

Source: ATWOnline

Cathay Pacific Airways continues to post passenger and freight records, putting more pressure on the airline to settle on its long-haul fleet plans. Year-over-year Dec. passengers were up 14.5%, RPKS 15.4% and cargo 7.6%. For the full year, Cathay made a total recovery from the impact of SARS with passengers up 35.8% to 13.7 million, cargo up 11.2% to 972,416 tonnes and RPKs up 33.9%. Load factor was 77.8%. The airline is reviewing its fleet options and examining a host of aircraft, including the 777-300ER, 747ADV, A380 and A340-600IGW. Insiders at the airline told ATWOnline that Cathay is still leery of the A380 and favors the 747ADV