The carrier will likely have to choose between Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and Airbus’s A330neo or the more-advanced A350 jet. — Bloomberg
HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd is seeking proposals from Airbus SE and Boeing Co for new aircraft to replace some of its older mid-sized widebody jets, rounding off the Hong Kong carrier’s biggest buying spree in a decade.
Both planemakers have been issued a so-called request for information (RFI) for the potentially multi-billion dollar plane order, sources said.
The RFI is the first step in the process and no purchase is guaranteed, the sources cautioned, and who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.
The carrier will likely have to choose between Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and Airbus’s A330neo or the more-advanced A350 jet. Cathay didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hong Kong’s biggest airline last year already ordered dozens of new aircraft, all from Airbus, as it readies an expansion of its home base at Hong Kong International Airport, with three runways becoming operational by late 2024.
Chief executive officer Ronald Lam has said that the company has a two-year window to catch up after the pandemic put its expansion plans on hold. — Bloomberg
