Cathay Pacific has ordered 14 more Airbus aircraft as part of a fleet renewal plan that will take its total investment to more than HK$150 billion between 2026 and 2035. The Hong Kong carrier announced the order on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.

The Cathay Group has exercised purchase rights for 11 more Airbus A330-900 widebody aircraft and three more Airbus A321neo narrowbody aircraft. The A330-900s will be delivered between 2031 and 2035 and will gradually replace the airline's existing mid-size widebody fleet.

What the new order covers

The 11 additional A330-900s take Cathay's firm orders for the type to 41, on top of the 30 it ordered in 2024. The aircraft will mainly serve regional routes in Asia, carrying passengers and cargo, with the flexibility to fly longer routes in future. The three A321neos will go to HK Express, the group's low-cost arm, for mainland China and other short-haul routes, adding to 32 A321neo and A320neo aircraft ordered in 2023.

Cathay said the basic price of the 11 A330-900s is about $5.11 billion, or about HK$39.9 billion, but Airbus has granted significant price concessions, so the actual price will be below that figure. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange granted Cathay a waiver allowing it to withhold the final agreed price.

A decade of fleet renewal

The new order brings Cathay's total aircraft deliveries from 2026 to 120, moving it closer to a plan for 150 new aircraft. Chief Executive Ronald Lam said the orders would help build a network serving 150 destinations over the next 10 years, if market conditions are favourable.

"These new orders bring our total aircraft deliveries from 2026 to 120, bringing us closer to our plan of 150 new aircraft deliveries," Lam said.

The aircraft now on order include A321neo and A320neo narrowbodies, A330-900 regional widebodies, Boeing 777-9 long-haul widebodies and A350F and A330 freighter aircraft. As of 30 June 2026, the group had 105 aircraft on firm order and purchase rights for another 87, according to its interim report.

Why the A330-900 matters for Cathay

The A330-900 is the newest version of Airbus's mid-size widebody, with improved fuel efficiency over the A330-300s it will replace. Cathay operates about 43 A330-300s with an average age of more than 18 years, so the new aircraft are almost a one-for-one replacement for the existing fleet, although the airline has not announced a formal one-for-one plan.

The order was announced in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing and a company statement on Wednesday. Airbus confirmed the same day that the Cathay Group had placed a firm order for the 14 aircraft in total.

Sources: Reuters; Cathay Pacific.