Cathay Pacific in talks for more narrowbody jets and freighters

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways is in talks with aircraft manufacturers about orders for medium-haul aircraft and dedicated freighters, a senior executive said on Friday.

“Overall we have enough long-haul aircraft to fulfil Cathay Pacific’s growth plan,” Chief Customer and Customer Officer Ronald Lam said during an analyst briefing, citing existing orders for Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X planes.

Lam said the focus would be on acquiring more medium-haul jets to operate in the Asia-Pacific region as well as dedicated freighters, though he did not provide the numbers or types being considered.

The long-serving executive, who will take over as chief executive on Jan. 1, had raised the prospect of jet orders in an interview with Bloomberg last month.

The talks with manufacturers come as the airline looks to rebuild after being hit hard by more than two years of tough passenger and quarantine rules in Hong Kong that ended only recently.