Cathay Pacific Airways is leaning towards placing an order for around six Airbus A350 freighters as the Hong Kong carrier renews the oldest section of its fleet of dedicated 747 cargo jets, industry sources said.
If confirmed, the selection marks a bounce back for the Airbus freighter after Cathay earlier this year appeared to favour the competing Boeing 777-8F, before postponing a decision for several months, said the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential matters.
“We will continue to evaluate what potential new-generation freighters may provide additional capacity and generate value for our customers and shareholders, and we remain open to all possibilities,” a Cathay Pacific spokesperson said by email.
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Cathay’s decision on where to place bets for the next phase of its cargo development has been seen as a key test for the two freighters because the airline operates the underlying 777 and A350 passenger models.
Cathay Pacific is the world’s fifth-largest air freight carrier and the third-largest traditional freight airline behind Qatar Airways and Emirates when specialist express parcel carriers FedEx and UPS are excluded, according to latest available data from the International Air Transport Association.
Industry sources have said the competition pointed to an initial purchase of around half a dozen aircraft, worth some $2 billion at list prices before traditional airline discounts, Reuters reported.
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