Cathay Pacific Expansion

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 26 Mar 2007, 14:53

Another interesting article, especially on the part which says: "Harbison said Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific's tie-up with China's national airline, Air China, has the potential to allow the two outfits to become the biggest "combined carrier" by 2017."

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... r=20070326

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 18 Jun 2007, 20:24

Cathay is going to double its non-stop services to San Francisco and New York this fall, coincide with the arrival of the first B777-300ER in September.....

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/ ... acific.php

ryanCX · Post by **ryanCX** » 26 Jun 2007, 11:51

Hi
Does anyone know when the lease for the A340-600s expire?

CX · Post by CX » 27 Jun 2007, 02:17

ryanCX wrote:Hi
Does anyone know when the lease for the A340-600s expire?

Surely they will go when there are enough 773ERs in service.. so sad.

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 29 Jun 2007, 16:59

Well, if they go through with the expansion to JFK and SFO this fall, then the A340-600 will probably stay in the fleet until next year.

I don't think anyone knows when the lease (w/ ILFC) expires for the A346, but CX is leasing some B777-300ER from ILFC also. Thus, I think there must be some agreement between CX and ILFC on swooping A346 with B773ER. Just a guess.

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 25 Jul 2007, 21:29

Interesting post from PPRuNe:

The 343s will be here for the medium term, although by 2015 the plan has them all gone. By 2012/2013, all of North America will be served by 777-300ERs.

As for JFK, the 777s will be going in November doing the yet-to-be-launched evening departure out of HKG. By the end of the year when five 777-300ERs have been delivered, both the daily non-stops to JFK will be the 777. The YVR-JFk flight will continue to be the 744 for now. After JFK, the 346s will be moved to launch a YYZ non-stop although this will only be for a short time before the 777s go there too as the 346s are moved elsewhere. The official line if that the 346s will leave although there are rumours that once ILFC offers a good deal, they will be retained. There are rumours also about us picking up three ex-South African 346s too The A330s will be around for quite a while.

Also a flight number has been assigned to the mysterious JFK-LHR flight...CX840/841. No new rumours I have heard about this starting...just the appearance of a fliught number and 777 as aircraft type.

The October schedule now shows a 2nd Daily SFO flight, timings as follows:

CX870 HKG-SFO Daily 1410/1135 744 (New Flight)
CX872 HKG-SFO Daily 1625/1350 744

CX873 SFO-HKG Daily 0120/0625+1 744
CX879 SFO-HKG Daily 1335/1840+1 744 (New Flight)

Flights will also continue into the winter schedule:
CX870 HKG-SFO Daily 1410/1005 744 (New Flight)
CX872 HKG-SFO Daily 1630/1225 744

CX873 SFO-HKG Daily 0010/0655+1 744
CX879 SFO-HKG Daily 1205/1855+1 744 (New Flight)

JFK-LHR, is CX going to do the around-the-world route? Very interesting...

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 26 Jul 2007, 17:18

2nd daily flight to SFO starts Oct 18.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... R4HUA1.DTL

Also, 3rd daily to Melbourne and daily to Adelaide, Australia from Oct 1

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/index. ... 7037&nav=2

ryanCX · Post by **ryanCX** » 27 Jul 2007, 00:45

The lease for the A340-600s expire in 2008 according to the 206 annual results I'd downloaded some while ago from their website. I certainly do hope they decide to keep the A340-600s. Even better if the SAA jets join in as well, as it helps with immediate expansions.

Also according to the document, to join the Cathay Pacific fleet are

in year 2007: 2 A330s, 2 B744s, 1 B744BCF and 5 B773ERs
in year 2008: 3 A330s, 3 B744ERFs, 5 B773ERs
year 2009 and beyond: 3 B744ERFs and 8 B773ERs

I'm not sure but the 2 B744s could also be BCFs. If they are, the airline is in a good position to phase out the B742Fs by 2009, also possibly with more of their own pax B744s converted into BCFs in addition to the ERFs. Also, the 3 A330s to be delivered in 2008 are 7.5 years operating leases. So, the A330s are sure to be around at least till 2015, which I'm very happy about.

Meanwhile, the following leases are also to expire

in year 2008: 3 A346s
in year 2011: 3 A330s and 4 A343s.
2012 and beyond: 4 B744s

Not that Cathay desperately need new aircrafts from expansion with the new B773ERs, but would be lovely to see the A346s stay. I doubt if the A343s will have their operating leases extended. Wouldn't be a bad idea at all to replace them with B787s. While they have been thought of as 'a bit small' by Cathay themselves, they do fit perfectly with their stratey of network and frequency expansion with them being able to open routes like MAN, MOW and ZRH.

On Dragonair, leases for 9 out their 16 A320s expire by 2011 and 6 of their 16 A330s leases expire before 2011 as well. I haven't heard anything as to how or if the Dragonair fleet will be renewed in coming years. Mainland China being as important a market as it is to Cathay, I'd really like to see the company upgrade Dragonair cabin and fleet.

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 30 Jul 2007, 20:38

Some fighting words between CX and Hong Kong Airlines...

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx ... 58898.html

bits44 · Post by **bits44** » 30 Jul 2007, 21:14

Sorry wrong topic!

globetrotter · Post by **globetrotter** » 04 Aug 2007, 18:08

CX Cargo evaluating Mexico City.

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 05 Aug 2007, 17:36

The rumor is they're considering Mexcio City AND Miami as the next phase of North American expansion.

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 05 Aug 2007, 17:43

CX Network Expansion detail for the 2nd Half 2007

NEW YORK
Adding second non-stop daily flight (a total of three flights a day including one via Vancouver) from 15 November.
Aircraft type: Boeing 777-300ER.
Flight no.From To Departure / Arrival Days of operation
CX840 HKG JFK 1635/1845 Daily
CX841 JFK HKG 0900/1400+1 Daily

SAN FRANCISCO
Adding second non-stop daily flight from 18 October.
Aircraft type: Boeing 747-400.
Flight no.From To Departure / Arrival Days of operation
CX870 HKG SFO 1410/1135 Daily
CX879 SFO HKG 1335/1840 +1 Daily

VANCOUVER
Added three more flights weekly making a total of 17 a week.
Extra sectors effective from 14 June and permanent schedule from 28 October.
Aircraft type: Airbus A340-300.Effective until 27 October 2007
Flight no.From To Departure / Arrival Days of operation
CX2868 HKG YVR 2340/2055
Tues, Thu, Sat
CX2869 YVR HKG 0845/1325 +10850/1340 +1 Wed
Fri, Sun

Effective until 28 October 2007
Flight no.From To Departure / Arrival Days of operation
CX836 HKG YVR 0005/1945 -1 Mon, Thur, Sat
CX835 YVR HKG 0030/0630 +1 Mon, Thur, Sat

Network Expansion in Australia

MELBOURNE
Adding third non-stop daily flight from 1 October.
Aircraft type: Airbus A330-300
Flight no.From To Departure / Arrival Days of operation
CX163 HKG MEL 0920/2030 Daily
CX168 MEL HKG 0015/0740 Daily

ADELAIDE
Adding three more flights, making it a daily service, from 1 October.
Aircraft type: Airbus A330-300.
Flight no.From To Departure / Arrival Days of operation
CX105 HKG ADL 2335/0940 +1 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

CX104 ADL HKG
(via MEL) 1100/2205 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

* Additional services in BOLD

PERTH
Adding fifth weekly service from 28 October
Aircraft type: Airbus A330-300
Flight no.From To Departure / Arrival Days of operation
CX171 HKG PER 1505/2345 Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun
CX170 PER HKG 0055/0735 Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun

ryanCX · Post by **ryanCX** » 07 Aug 2007, 13:43

Cathay Pacific ordered five more B777-300ERs bringing the total to 23. Deliveries begin in 2011.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/ ... -Order.php
They are probably for B744 replacements

Also, Dragonair to launch daily flights to Fukuoka and relaunch service to Sendai. The Tokyo Narita flight meanwhile will be axed.
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx ... 93688.html

No surprise with the NRT flights. I'd thought they'd go with the BKK flights when Dragonair was acquired. Wonder if CX's FUK flights via Taipei will be dropped.

CX · Post by CX » 07 Aug 2007, 13:57

Surely some of those 773ERs are going to replace some 744s?

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 07 Aug 2007, 16:10

CX's flight to FUK via TPE will not be dropped because there's a big market for flights between Taiwan and Japan. It's not a coincident that CX has all these routes via TPE (NRT, FUK, Oaska, and Nagoya, and Seoul also). They make good money stopping at TPE and picking up passengers there.

I think it makes sense that they have KA flying to FUK as KA has some smaller planes. Two daily flights to FUK may be too much capacity for CX to operate, so it's an interesting move. KA used to have schedule flight to Sendai before they pulled out a few years ago.

By 2011, CX's B744 will be at least 15 years old, some will be over 20 years old. With its strategy of more frequencies for better connectivity, I think it's now obvious that they will replace some older B744's with B773ER, just like what ANA and ANZ are doing.

PYX · Post by **PYX** » 07 Aug 2007, 19:05

deleted by author.

CX · Post by CX » 08 Aug 2007, 06:56

Hope some of those old 744s will become A380s... 8)

ryanCX · Post by **ryanCX** » 08 Aug 2007, 15:42

Cathay Pacific posted a net profit of HKD 2.58b (£162m, $330m) for the first half of 2007, a 55% increase from last year.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/id ... geNumber=1
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... refer=asia

Priority now obviously is to further consolidate presence in the Chinese market with help of Dragonair and Air China, and beat major rival Singapore Airlines to it.
While the Dragonair service still remains better than most mainland carriers, for future sake it needs to be improved, the premium class services particularly. Cannot wait till the others raise the bar.
They remain optimistic about the Cargo sector. but the planned venture with Air China in Shanghai still seems crucially important.

Cathay Pacific already have the right to fly transatlantic, it would be interesting to see if such a service is launched as mentioned above (CX840/CX841).

CXRules · Post by **CXRules** » 08 Aug 2007, 22:27

I really look forward to the LHR-JFK route from CX. But I think there may be some issues to resolve.

1. God knows gaining slot at LHR is not easy
2. oneworld partners AA & BA may not like it
3. even if AA & BA are okay with it, CX may want to code-share with them. AA/BA couldn't code-share on that route, so not sure that would be approved

Just stir things up a bit here

The stock went up more than 3% as they beat expectations. I think we'll see more benefits coming from the new bigger and better CX Group.