Cathay Pacific Airways Looks to Expand Again with Boeing Aircraft

Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific Airways has recently announced in a press release that they have agreed to purchase 17 new Boeing aircraft. Cathay Pacific Airways has made it known that these new aircraft will be used to replace older, less fuel efficient aircraft. The purchase agreement is for ten of Boeing's new 747-800 Freighter as well as seven more 777-300ER aircraft. The 747-800 is Boeing's newest update of its signature aircraft, the 747, which has been the queen of the skies for nearly 40 years. At Boeing's list price, these aircraft are worth around 5.2 billion US Dollars.

Cathay Pacific's CEO, Tony Tyler, was present at the recent press conference, and had nothing but good things to say about the purchased aircraft. "These orders highlight our long-term confidence in the future of both the cargo and passenger markets in Hong Kong and confirm our commitment to developing our home city as one of the world's premier aviation hubs.

We are very excited about the 747-8 Freighter, which provides the highest payload of any commercial freighter. More importantly, this is a highly fuel-efficient aircraft which consumes 22 percent less fuel per revenue payload ton than a 747-200F and 12 percent less than a 747-400F. Similarly, the 777-300ER is 22 percent more fuel-efficient than a 747-400 per payload ton. The greater efficiency of both aircraft types is very important in these environmentally sensitive times and when fuel prices are at record highs."

Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of Sales for Asia, Larry Dickenson, also spoke at the press conference. "This is a great day for Boeing and our friends at Cathay Pacific. Our relationship goes back more than six decades and this will take us into the future together. We are delighted with this endorsement of our 747-8 and 777 by an airline as highly respected as Cathay Pacific."

About the Ordered Aircraft: About the Boeing 777-300ER: The Boeing 777-300ER is the largest aircraft of the 777 family of wide-bodied aircraft. The aircraft is nearly 245 feet long and 212 feet wide. Able to fly over 8,000 nautical miles allows the aircraft to fly from Cathay Pacific's hub in Hong Kong to nearly anywhere in the populated world.

The 777-300ER can carry over 400,000 pounds of fuel and cargo, allowing for airlines to operate very profitable routes with ample room for cargo in the underside of the aircraft. Since the aircraft has only two engines, the ability to operate on a single engine is critical. Tests have shown the aircraft can fly over six hours on a single engine. The 777 is a very safe aircraft, benefiting from being the first aircraft designed entirely on computer systems. Also purchased was the 747-800 Freighter, the largest freight aircraft produced to date by Boeing. The 747-800 Freighter will be able to carry a load of over 140 tons of cargo a distance of nearly 4,500 miles, allowing Cathay Pacific to remain competitive in the global cargo trading market.