KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Kong's Cathay Group has placed a firm order for 14 additional Airbus aircraft as part of its fleet modernisation and expansion plans.
The order comprises 11 A330-900 widebody aircraft and three A321neo single-aisle aircraft.
In a statement, Airbus said the latest order builds on Cathay Group's 2024 purchase of 30 A330-900 aircraft, bringing its total firm orders for the model to 41.
The three additional A321neos also add to the group's previous order for 32 A321neo and A320neo aircraft placed in 2023.
Cathay chief operations and service delivery officer Alex McGowan said the additional aircraft would support the group's regional operations across Asia-Pacific while providing greater flexibility for longer-haul flights.
"This latest order for 14 additional A330-900s and A321neos enables us to further expand and upgrade our fleet, supporting not only our regional operations across Asia-Pacific, but also providing greater flexibility to operate longer flights," he said.
Airbus executive vice-president of sales for commercial aircraft Benoit de Saint-Exupery said the aircraft would allow Cathay to better match capacity with demand while benefiting from lower fuel consumption and operating efficiencies.
The A330neo, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, has a range of up to 15,000km and offers a 25% reduction in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and operating costs compared with previous-generation competing aircraft, according to Airbus.
Meanwhile, the A320 family offers at least 20% fuel savings and lower carbon emissions compared with previous-generation single-aisle aircraft.
