All Dragonair Europe cargo flight traffic rights have been transfered to Cathay Pacific. See message details below from Kenny Tang/KA CEO.
Dear Colleagues,
Our integration with Cathay Pacific is continuing in a number of different areas in order to maximise the synergies between the two airlines. Effective February 1, Dragonair's 11 weekly freighter services to Europe and the Middle East will be operated under the "CX" call sign through a wet-lease arrangement with Cathay Pacific. We believe it makes more commercial sense to market and operate the services under one airline code.
I would like to stress that this development will not result in any job changes for our freighter pilots. They will continue to fly Dragonair freighter aircraft on the same 11 services to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Manchester and Dubai, and on the same schedule as before. Our Mainland and regional freighter services will continue to operate as usual.
We remain committed to expanding our freighter fleet and we will still be taking delivery of the four 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighters on firm order in the coming two years. The first of these - our second BCF - will arrive next month. The new aircraft will all be operated by Dragonair crews.
Co-ordination meetings between Dragonair and Cathay Pacific are currently being arranged to ensure everything goes smoothly and the new wet-lease arrangement runs effectively. I know I can count on your full support in achieving this.
Regards,
Kenny Tang
Cathay Pacific Airways to Expand Fleet
Moderator: Latest news team
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keen_watcher
- Posts: 31
- Joined: 23 May 2006, 00:00
To further fuel this topic, following rumor has been circulated amongst HK air crew community for quite some time already. Anyway, a rumour remains rumour, no official words..
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=260763
Rumour has it CX bought 10 A340-600 E’s (Enhanced). Better than the 3 old 340-600 we have now. If true, not sure where they will be deployed.
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=260763
Rumour has it CX bought 10 A340-600 E’s (Enhanced). Better than the 3 old 340-600 we have now. If true, not sure where they will be deployed.
A346E has not even been finalised, how can it be 2nd hand? I am supposing this doesn't mean the A346HGW, the A346E is supposed to take on the current 773ER that enters service in 2011 with new engines and minor aerodynamic improvements, but I always thought this was scrapped the day they announced the A350-1000XWB. The A346E will be in direct competition with the A350-1000XWB, so the only explanation is that the rumour refers to the HGW, and not the Enhanced, but it is also unlikely that people there would make such mistakes.. (well unless there is going to be an A346 enhanced in 2011). I would like to think Airbus might make a A330 enhanced with new engines in the short term to give the 787 a run, but rumours of re-engining the A330 has disappeared for quite some time.. :sCXRules wrote:keen_watcher, thanks for clearing that up. I would expect Cathay would mentioned it in the press release. But at least they're doing what I think they should do.
Is the rumor of 10 A340-600E second-hand or brand new?
The A333s they have, even the older ones, are basically identical to their new ones they are getting right? The A330 hasn't been upgraded or anything since it was launched right? Why would they drop A333s when they are getting new but identical spec A333s? Does maintenance cost fly up when a plane gets to a certain age? And according to that forum the 15 A343s will go within 5 years, they have only ordered 19 773ERs and the A333s cannot serve the A343 routes. This is hardly an 'expansion' if the 773ER replaces 15 A343s and 3 A346s (expand by one plane?), so perhaps this is the reason for the 10 A346?
Finally, why isn't this order reported if it's real?
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keen_watcher
- Posts: 31
- Joined: 23 May 2006, 00:00
Re subject of ten A346E potentially heading towards CX, my guess that this is simply rumour/dream/personal agenda etc etc made up by people who bet on CX's "predatory purchasing" track record (I don't want to repeat CX business behaviorial history here), i.e. after EK announced to cancel same amount of A346E late last year.. wish this helps..
Good point, CX. I got confused with HGW and E. Anyway, I thought Cathay made the decision to go with B777-300ER instead of A340-600 a year or so ago. I think that's just a rumor.
As for the replacement of A340s, they do have 18 options for B777-300ER. In the long run, they probably will replace the entire A340 fleet sooner rather than later. I believe you'll still find some A340's in Cathay fleet by 2010, but not for long after that. The reason I say that is because B777-300ER is too big for some long-haul routes that the A340-300 is a better fit.
As for the replacement of A340s, they do have 18 options for B777-300ER. In the long run, they probably will replace the entire A340 fleet sooner rather than later. I believe you'll still find some A340's in Cathay fleet by 2010, but not for long after that. The reason I say that is because B777-300ER is too big for some long-haul routes that the A340-300 is a better fit.
There are rumours that Cathay would still want to fly a 4-engined plane for some routes rather than 2 engines, and if they intend to replace their full A343 fleet it isn't surprising that they will get some new A346s..
I have just asked this online "friend" who works at CX, I showed him the A346E rumour and his reply was, "what do you think (a smiling smiley), CX really needs planes!" ... 8)
I have just asked this online "friend" who works at CX, I showed him the A346E rumour and his reply was, "what do you think (a smiling smiley), CX really needs planes!" ... 8)
It wouldn't shock me completely if CX did order those 10 A340Es. Its not like they can't opearate two similar type of aircrafts. If they get a few A340s for cheap enough, it would address their need for new planes, while also outweighing the future cost of operating 2 different families of aircrafts of the same class.
As for the planes they are going to invest in during the specified time, it really depends on which direction they are planning to go to. If they are really serious about the increased network and frequency strategy, B787 does appear to be a sound replacement for their 15 A343s. B777ERs though, I am pretty sure, are to work side-by-side with the B747s rather than to replace them, at least for the first few years. Furthermore, Cathay does need high-capacity planes for routes like LHR and LAX, so I am positive B748s or A380s will find their way to CX fleet, though not in a huge number.
As for the A343s, I really won't be sorry to see them go.
As for the planes they are going to invest in during the specified time, it really depends on which direction they are planning to go to. If they are really serious about the increased network and frequency strategy, B787 does appear to be a sound replacement for their 15 A343s. B777ERs though, I am pretty sure, are to work side-by-side with the B747s rather than to replace them, at least for the first few years. Furthermore, Cathay does need high-capacity planes for routes like LHR and LAX, so I am positive B748s or A380s will find their way to CX fleet, though not in a huge number.
As for the A343s, I really won't be sorry to see them go.
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keen_watcher
- Posts: 31
- Joined: 23 May 2006, 00:00
it seems CX plans to retire/return their three A346 in operation to the lessor early 2008 after introduction of those new B773ER from October 2007. But.... if the offer from Airbus is attractive enough, who knows??
Following quoted from another aircrew forum yesterday:
"The rumour of CX picking up 10 x A346 from the cancelled EK order has been debunked to me and the Airbus pilot body at CX by the CP. It isn’t happening full stop. The current A346’s will be gone by early next year as well. I was told most if not all the A343’s will be gone within five years and some of the older A330’s will be going as well."
Following quoted from another aircrew forum yesterday:
"The rumour of CX picking up 10 x A346 from the cancelled EK order has been debunked to me and the Airbus pilot body at CX by the CP. It isn’t happening full stop. The current A346’s will be gone by early next year as well. I was told most if not all the A343’s will be gone within five years and some of the older A330’s will be going as well."
I thought the 10 EK A346HGWs were already picked up by another airline? Also the rumour has always been about the A346E, and i guess these rumours cannot be so wrong that they mixed up the HGW with the Enhance.
No idea but we don't know whether the A340 Enhance programme is still going, Airbus probably won't keep going if all they get are 10 orders, the thing will be re-engined with quite a few minor modifications.
Well, i don't think Cathay is interested in the HGW, if the HGW has been mis-said as the Enhanced in the rumours, then i think it's all junk, the HGW is still pretty much uncompetitive but apparently i have searched on Google/Yahoo and the few websites I found all refer to this rumour as A346-Es..
No idea but we don't know whether the A340 Enhance programme is still going, Airbus probably won't keep going if all they get are 10 orders, the thing will be re-engined with quite a few minor modifications.
Well, i don't think Cathay is interested in the HGW, if the HGW has been mis-said as the Enhanced in the rumours, then i think it's all junk, the HGW is still pretty much uncompetitive but apparently i have searched on Google/Yahoo and the few websites I found all refer to this rumour as A346-Es..
Re: Cathay Pacific Airways to Expand Fleet
How old are you ????A350XWB wrote: cx is not happy with airbus ..A340-600 very very BAD
Cathay Pacific mulls more flights to New York, San Francisco after delivery of B777-300ER:
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx ... 24936.html
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx ... 24936.html
Would love to see a CX 777-300 landing at KEWR instead of KJFK 
Anyway, has anyone read the article in AW&ST about how Airbus is trying to woo CX to order A380F? Airbus is making a push at CX, does anyone think they will be successful, or does anyone believe that Airbus should just work on the A380 pax?
Anyway, has anyone read the article in AW&ST about how Airbus is trying to woo CX to order A380F? Airbus is making a push at CX, does anyone think they will be successful, or does anyone believe that Airbus should just work on the A380 pax?
I don't think they'll be successful in persuading CX to order A380pax.. at the moment they are using old 747s for Cargo and they seem happy with them, and also more and more of their 744s will be converted into freighters... so why would they need A380Fs? A380pax is more possible..David747 wrote:Would love to see a CX 777-300 landing at KEWR instead of KJFK
Anyway, has anyone read the article in AW&ST about how Airbus is trying to woo CX to order A380F? Airbus is making a push at CX, does anyone think they will be successful, or does anyone believe that Airbus should just work on the A380 pax?
