Cathay Pacific raises Airbus A330neo order to 41 aircraft

Cathay Pacific has raised its firm order for the Airbus A330-900 (A330neo) to 41 aircraft by exercising purchase rights for 11 more jets, according to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing dated 11 November 2026. The aircraft will progressively replace the airline's A330-300s and serve mainly regional routes in Asia. Cathay Pacific and Airbus announced the order the same day.

Details of the order

AeroTime reports that the rights come from the airline's 2024 agreement with Airbus, which covered 30 A330-900s plus the right to buy 30 more. Airbus said the Cathay Group placed a firm order for 14 aircraft in total: the 11 A330-900s and three A321neos. The A321neos are not covered by the stock exchange filing and add to a 2023 order for 32 A321neo and A320neo aircraft, according to AeroTime.

Delivery dates differ slightly between sources. AeroTime says the 11 new aircraft are due between 2031 and 2035, and that the original 30 were expected by the end of 2031. One Mile at a Time gives a delivery window of 2028 to 2035 for the whole 41-aircraft order.

Price and financing

The filing puts the basic price of the 11 aircraft at about $5.11 billion (HK$39.9 billion). Cathay said Airbus granted "significant price concessions", so the actual price is lower, and the exchange allowed it to withhold the final figure, AeroTime reports. Payment is in eight instalments, seven before delivery. Cathay may use bank loans, finance leases, sale-and-leaseback, operating cash or a combination. Shareholder approval is not required.

Fleet context

AeroTime cites ch-aviation data showing Cathay operates 43 A330-300s with an average age of 18.2 years. One Mile at a Time notes some are nearly 25 years old. The A330-900 has a range of 7,200 nautical miles and seats 287 passengers in a standard three-cabin layout, according to that outlet.

Alex McGowan, Cathay's Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer, said the extra aircraft would support regional operations across Asia-Pacific while "providing greater flexibility to operate longer flights", AeroTime reports.

The order sits alongside other commitments: 35 Boeing 777-9s after an August 2025 exercise of rights for 14 more, and two further A350F freighters exercised in May 2026. As of 30 June 2026, the group had 105 aircraft on firm order, a figure that predates this deal.

What this means for travellers

• Newer aircraft on regional routes: the A330-900s will gradually replace older A330-300s, mainly on Asian services from Hong Kong, though the first deliveries are still some years away.
• More regional capacity: One Mile at a Time says the jets will also help grow capacity in busy regional markets.
• Possible cabin upgrade: the same outlet assumes most will carry the new Aria Studio business class, with flat beds, but this is its expectation rather than a confirmed detail in the sources.
• Longer flights possible: Cathay says the aircraft could fly longer routes, but no specific routes have been announced.

Specific route assignments and the cabin configuration for the new aircraft have not been confirmed in the sources.

Sources: AeroTime; One Mile at a Time.