The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced on Friday a new order for 32 A320neo family aircraft from the Hong Kong company Cathay Pacific, adding to the 32 aircraft already ordered in 2017.
These aircraft, with a list price of between $3.2 billion and $4.1 billion for this order, will be the A320neo and A321neo intended to join the fleets of Cathay Pacific and HK Express to primarily serve destinations in mainland China and other parts of Asia. , according to a press release. .
So far, 13 of the 64 single-aisle aircraft have already been delivered, the manufacturer specifies, and Cathay specifies that delivery of the new order is expected “until 2029.”
For the company, the investment goes hand in hand with the “exponential” growth expected of Hong Kong as an air transport hub, says director Ronald Lam, quoted in a Cathay press release.
With its A320neo family, Airbus also obtained the largest order ever signed in the field of civil aviation in June: 500 aircraft for the Indian company IndiGo.
The A320neo range is Airbus’ bestseller, but the aircraft manufacturer is struggling to increase production since the impact of the health crisis.
In 2022, a year still marked by supply difficulties, only 43 single-aisle aircraft per month left its European, American and Chinese factories, but Airbus aims for a rate of 75 by 2026.
The A320neo family has “more than 9,700 orders from more than 130 customers,” Airbus notes.
A few days ago, the aircraft manufacturer received an order from Air France for 50 long-haul A350-900 and A350-1000 aircraft.
Source: BFM TV
