Cathay Pacific has announced that it wants to buy 32 Airbus A320 and A321neo planes. This is all about making the fleet bigger and more up-to-date.
On August 10, 2023, they said that this order would make their new aircraft backlog go up to 70. They plan to have the 32 narrow-body jets delivered by 2029. The Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)-based airline is also thinking about leasing 18 Airbus A321neo planes to be delivered between 2025 and 2027.
These new planes will be used by both Cathay Pacific and its low-cost branch, HK Express. They’ll mostly fly to places on the Chinese Mainland and other parts of Asia. But the airline didn’t say if they were buying these planes directly or leasing them from someone else.
Ronald Lam, the big boss of the Cathay Group, said they’re doing this because they want to invest in the future of the company and the Hong Kong hub. He thinks it will grow a lot with the new Three-Runway System.
Good Money News and What’s Next
Cathay Pacific is doing well with money. They made a profit of HKD4.2 billion ($537.1 million) in the first half of 2023. They made HKD43.5 billion ($5.5 billion) in total. Patrick Healy, the chairman, said the first part of 2023 was good because they were able to connect more flights in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland after the borders opened again.
They first talked about buying the planes when they told everyone how much money they made in the first half of 2023. They said they want to buy up to 32 Airbus A320neo and A321neo planes before September 30, 2023.
Lam also said that these types of planes have been good for Cathay Pacific and HK Express. They’ve helped them grow in the Chinese Mainland and other nearby places.
Some Trouble Maybe?
Cathay Pacific’s plans to get more planes and make more money are great, but there might be some problems. The same day they talked about the planes, the group that represents the pilots said they were thinking about going on strike.
Cathay Pacific wants to buy 32 Airbus planes, and that’s a big deal. It shows that they want to grow and make things better for the people who fly with them. They’re making good money, and they have plans for the future. But they might have to deal with the pilots who are thinking about going on strike. We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but it’s an exciting time for Cathay Pacific and the people who fly with them.
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