Cathay Pacific firms options for 11 Airbus A330-900s

Dhaka: Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has exercised purchase rights for 11 additional Airbus A330-900 aircraft, bringing its firm orders for the A330neo variant to 41, according to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing on November 11.

The rights stem from a 2024 purchase agreement with Airbus, under which Cathay ordered 30 A330-900s and secured the option to acquire 30 more. The airline expects to receive the 11 new jets between 2031 and 2035. The original 30 are scheduled to arrive by the end of 2031.

Airbus said the same day that Cathay Group placed a firm order for 14 aircraft in total, comprising the 11 A330-900s and three A321neos. The narrow-bodies are not covered by the stock exchange filing and will add to a 2023 order for 32 A320neo and A321neo aircraft.

The A330-900s will gradually replace Cathay’s mid-size wide-body fleet of 43 A330-300s. The new jets will mainly serve regional routes in Asia, while the airline may also introduce them on longer-haul flights in the future.

Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer Alex McGowan said the additional aircraft would support the group's Asia-Pacific operations while providing greater flexibility to operate longer flights.

The order is part of Cathay's wider fleet renewal program. In August 2025, the airline exercised rights for 14 additional Boeing 777-9s, raising its firm commitment for the type to 35. It also exercised rights for two more Airbus A350F freighters in May.

As of June 30, Cathay Group had 105 aircraft on firm order and purchase rights for 87 more, according to its interim report. Those figures predate the latest Airbus transaction.

The order follows remarks by Group CEO Ronald Lam at the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in June, where he signaled further orders for wide-body, narrow-body, and freighter aircraft.