Cathay Pacific Eyes A350 Freighter Order

Cathay Pacific is close to selecting Airbus’ upcoming A350 Freighter for its future freight needs, Reuters reports.

Cathay Pacific Eyes A350 Freighter

A deal could be worth around six total units for a plane yet to be certified, as Airbus announced its intent to compete against Boeing in the sector through this A350F

While concerns about air freight demand persist, Cathay believes it remains vitally important to the company.

Adding the Airbus A350 Freighter would also increase the European plane maker’s competitiveness in a sector where it has struggled to succeed.

Switching From Boeing To Airbus?

In March 2023, Reuters reported that Cathay Pacific was close to a deal with Boeing for its newly launched 777-8F.

At the time, expectations were that Boeing would lead the way in securing a deal that Cathay says would replace its Boeing 747s.

If it had struck a deal with Boeing, the company would have stayed with the American plane maker for freighter needs.

However, after reviewing the offerings, the latest reports say Airbus is now leading the way for a contract that would see the Cathay Group switch.

The Upcoming Next-Generation Freighters

Airbus and Boeing will lock horns across the coming decades with their newly announced next-generation freighter offerings.

Notably, the first released will be Airbus’ A350 Freighter, announced not long ago to better compete with Boeing.

With certification for its passenger variants still pending, Boeing’s 777-8F will be the direct competitor to the A350F.

On almost every occasion, these two variants will be put forward to interested parties in the hopes, at least for Airbus, of a more competitive landscape.

While similar, each aircraft offers customers something different, from range to payload. Additionally, the deals customers can get on these planes will play a part, too.

Analysing Cathay Cargo’s Fleet

Cathay Pacific’s Cargo division currently operates exclusively with Boeing 747 Freighters.

According to the latest data, the group flies 6 747-400Fs, averaging 14.9 years old.

Interestingly, the group also has 747-8 freighters, with 14 active units averaging 10.8 years old.

As a result, the six A350 Freighters proposed in the deal would replace these ageing 747-400Fs.