Cathay Pacific To Upgrade The A321neo

Cathay Pacific will overhaul its Airbus A321neo as part of efforts to raise customer satisfaction levels and improve crew comfort.

Flagged by Executive Traveller, the airline will see fundamental changes to its single-aisle model, which is the youngest in the fleet, on average.

Economy Seats To Be Removed

Cathay Pacific, as part of the wholesale changes, will reduce A321neo capacity. The decision, described as a hard one, is something the airline is committed to for its customers.

With the A321neo’s capacity reduced to increase seat pitch, this is essentially the removal of revenue-generating seats from the fleet. This strong move signifies how the airline wants to be viewed by its customers, a customer-first airline.

The current seat pitch on the A321neo is 30″, and while specifics on removing the seat remain unclear and what this will mean for the pitch, there will be no change to the Business Class, which has 12 seats.

The airline’s General Manager of Customer Experience Design, Guillaume Vivet, says the decision to axe seats across the single-aisle model stems from customer feedback indicating that, while the seat is comfortable, the space is insufficient.

Lavatory Relocation & Bigger Screens

While the removal of seats across the single-aisle A321neo attracts attention, the reconfiguration of the model will extend beyond just the seat changes.

The revised floor plan, thanks to the axing of seats, will see other noteworthy changes, including the lavatories moving out of the galley complex and forward of the aft doors. This is a change in overall orientation, which means toilets can increase in size, minimising the cramped feel.

With the changes to the lavatories, crew members who also shared feedback on the A321neo configuration will now be able to enhance their overall meal service across economy, hopefully leading to a better passenger experience on the single-aisle jet.

Larger displays will also enhance the in-flight entertainment portion of the service, with changes to the colours, to create a harmonious experience for passengers.

Cathay Pacific A321neo Retrofit Timeline

Cathay Pacific’s A321neo retrofit follows its existing sizeable commitment to the series. The first iteration of the new cabin will debut in the second quarter of this year, when a new aircraft is delivered from Airbus.

With this being the 17th A321neo delivered to the airline, the previous 16, which are currently operational, will have changes implemented from the delivery of the 17th unit onwards.

The retrofit is being described internally as a priority. Cathay not only wants these planes to spend as little time out of service as possible, but also wants the entire fleet to have better consistency by 2027.

Improved Comfort On Cathay A321neo

For passengers, while there will be a seat reduction on the Airbus A321neo, which will impact Cathay Pacific in a rare move, it should only benefit customers.

The Hong Kong-based carrier is confirming that it has listened to customers’ feedback, which has necessitated change on multiple fronts and the creation of a more cohesive experience across all fleet types.

These aircraft, while brand new, were not initially designed for Cathay Pacific; instead, they were intended to fly with Cathay Dragon and were configured accordingly. However, when the Dragon brand shut down, they were transferred to the Pacific division as part of the restructuring.

Since then, the A321neo has been pivotal to serving regional markets from Hong Kong, but the onboard experience has lagged what the carrier would want for its mainline division, and it’s on that that the airline is investing, with a complete reconfiguration of the economy cabin.

Cathay Pacific believes that once the rollout is complete, passengers should notice a significant change in space and comfort, alongside greater harmony with other fleet types.