Only days after Air China, which holds a substantial stake in Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong-based airline also expands its Airbus A350F order by 2 units.
In this post:
- Airbus Wins Over 2 More A350F Cathay Cargo Orders
- The A350’s Dominating Position in The Cathay Group
- Air China and Cathay Pacific Moving in Same Direction
- Making The Most of Hong Kong’s 3 Runway System
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Airbus Wins Over 2 More A350F Cathay Cargo Orders
This is another strategic win for Airbus, not a massive one, but a significant one. Cathay Cargo, Cathay Pacific cargo division, has expanded its order for Airbus A350F aircraft.
The airline had originally placed an order for the A350F back in December of 2023. Back then, the original order was for a supply of six planes.
The new addendum to the order will have Cathay Pacific take into its cargo fleet an additional two Airbus A350F.
Moving Further and Further Away From Boeing on Cargo Ops
The order might be tiny in number but is extremely significant in terms of the message it sends out.
Increasing its order for Airbus A350F further affirms the confidence that Cathay Pacific has in this new generation freighter aircraft.
It also highlights the lack of confidence it has in the other new generation long-haul freighter being developed, the 777-8F.
As of now, there are no orders placed by Cathay Pacific under Cathay Cargo for the new generation Boeing Freighter.
Furthermore, Cathay Pacific currently operates an all Boeing 747 cargo operation, which will slowly be phased out with the arrival of the A350F. Initially, the Boeing 747-400ERF will be phased out, and possibly in the 2030s the 747-8F could follow the same path.
The A350F will therefore become the go-to aircraft for much of Cathay Pacific’s cargo operations.
The A350’s Dominating Position in The Cathay Group
There’s also another reason that makes the A350F extremely attractive to Cathay Pacific and Cathay Cargo. That is the operational flexibility it comes with.
Cathay Pacific relies heavily already for its passenger operations on the Airbus A350 in its 900 and 1000 variants. Adopting the Airbus A350F will allow the airline to deploy pilots with maximum flexibility on either passenger or cargo routes as the type rating is the exact same.
The A350 in all its variants will become extremely dominant within the Cathay Pacific group, leaving the Boeing 777-300ER and 777X as a niche aircraft in the overall operation.
Air China and Cathay Pacific Moving in Same Direction
There are a lot of interesting coincidences about this additional A350F order by Cathay Pacific.
Another to be highlighted is the fact that the additional order comes just days after Air China made the exact same move.
Just a few days ago, Air China increased its total aircraft order to 10 units, having ordered six originally in December of 2025 and activating in May of 2026 an order option for four more.
Now, that could look like a coincidence, but there might have been some sort of communication between the two parties as Air China controls a hefty 29% stake in Cathay Pacific.
Making The Most of Hong Kong’s 3 Runway System
This order expansion must be looked at also as a defensive move by Cathay Pacific. The group needs to defend its position as a dominant cargo operator in the region against the growing competition.
Mainland China carriers are getting stronger and stronger, and other competitors are starting to rise and become more menacing, such as Korean Air and the newcomer Starlux.
The South Korean carrier is merging with Asiana Airlines, with that process scheduled to be completed by December 2026. The merger of the two carriers will create one of the strongest cargo operators in Asia.
Cathay Pacific needs to defend itself, and it does have weapons at its disposal. Hong Kong International Airport over the past years, it has expanded, opening up a third runway, which has unlocked massive capacity potential, particularly for cargo operations.
However, you need the aircraft to transform the potential into revenue.