Cathay Pacific Airways has become the sixth airline to take delivery of the Airbus A350 XWB. Its first aircraft, B-LRA (c/n 029), will be operated under a long-term lease agreement from the Dutch lessor AerCap. The jet, featuring the carrier’s new livery, was handed over during a ceremony at the manufacturer’s Toulouse facility on May 28. The Hong Kong-based airline has 48 A350 XWBs on order consisting of 22 A350-900s and 26 of the larger A350-1000s.
Philip Scruggs, AerCap President and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We are pleased to deliver the first A350-900 to long-time customer airliner Cathay Pacific Airways. The A350-900 offers unrivalled levels of operational efficiency while giving an enhanced guest experience with superior levels of comfort. We are looking forward to continuing our successful relationship with the Cathay Pacific team as the airline optimises its fleet.”
The aircraft has been configured with a premium three-class layout, which can accommodate 280 passengers, comprising: 38 lie-flat seats in Business Class; 28 in Premium Economy and 214 in the main cabin. Cathay Pacific will be introducing the new aircraft initially on its regional network before starting long-haul operations later this year.
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