Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 B-LAJ parked at Dhaka airport, the type the A330neo will replace

Cathay Pacific Orders 11 More Airbus A330neos, Taking Total to 41

by | Nov 12, 2026 | Mundo de la aviación, Noticias | 0 comments

Cathay Pacific has not taken delivery of a single Airbus A330neo yet. On Wednesday 11 November, it ordered eleven more anyway.

Airbus announced from Toulouse that Hong Kong’s Cathay Group had placed a firm order for 14 additional aircraft: eleven A330-900s and three single-aisle A321neos. The new widebodies lift the group’s firm commitment for the A330-900 from 30 to 41, enough to replace almost the entire fleet of older A330-300s that has been the backbone of Cathay’s regional network for decades.

Datos rápidos

  • Anunciado: Wednesday 11 November 2026, by Airbus and in a Cathay Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing
  • Orden: 14 aircraft: 11 A330-900s and 3 A321neos (firm)
  • A330-900 total: 41 firm (30 ordered in 2024, plus 11 purchase rights now exercised)
  • Entregas: The 11 additional A330-900s expected 2031 to 2035, per the filing
  • Basic price: About US$5.11 billion for the 11 A330-900s, before “significant price concessions”
  • A321neos: Reported to be for HK Express; add to a 2023 order for 32 A320neo-family jets
  • Motores: Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 on the A330-900
  • Sustituye a: Cathay’s fleet of more than 40 A330-300s, progressively

Purchase rights turned into firm orders

The A330neo story at Cathay began in 2024, when the airline ordered 30 A330-900s. According to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing published on 11 November and reported by AeroTime and Aviation A2Z, that 2024 deal also gave Cathay the right to buy more. It has now exercised eleven of those purchase rights.

The filing puts the basic price of the eleven aircraft at about US$5.11 billion (HK$39.9 billion). Nobody will pay that. Cathay said Airbus had granted “significant price concessions”, AeroTime reported, and the stock exchange allowed the airline to keep the real figure confidential. Each aircraft will be paid for in instalments, most of them before delivery.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 at a gate at Hong Kong International Airport with mountains behind
A Cathay Pacific A330-300 at its Hong Kong hub. Cathay has not yet received an A330-900, so this is the older model the new jets will progressively replace. Photo: ZhengZhou / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Do not expect to see the new jets soon. Cathay expects the eleven additional A330-900s between 2031 and 2035, according to the filing as reported by AeroTime and Aerospace Global News. The first batch of 30 is due earlier, but Air Data News notes that the airline has yet to receive its first A330-900.

“The A330 and A320 aircraft families have been serving the Cathay Group well, and we are pleased to be adding more of these state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient aircraft to our fleet.”
Alex McGowan — Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer, Cathay (Airbus press release, 11 November 2026)

Replacing the A330-300 workhorse

Cathay flies more than 40 A330-300s, AeroTime and Air Data News report, and AeroTime puts their average age at 18.2 years, citing ch-aviation data. The airline says the A330-900s will progressively replace its existing mid-size widebodies, flying mainly on regional routes across Asia but with the range to take on longer flights when the network needs it.

The A330-900 is the re-engined A330, with Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 turbofans and Airbus’s Airspace cabin. Airbus quotes a range of up to 8,100 nautical miles and claims a 25 percent cut in fuel burn, CO2 emissions and operating costs compared with previous-generation competitor aircraft.

Rolls-Royce introduces the Trent 7000, the engine that powers every A330neo, including Cathay’s.

That is a manufacturer’s figure, and the comparison is with older rival jets rather than with Cathay’s own A330-300s. But the logic is clear: the A330neo keeps the size that made the A330 so useful on busy regional routes in Asia, with newer, more efficient engines.

Cebu Pacific Airbus A330-900neo parked at Manila airport
An Airbus A330-900 of Cebu Pacific at Manila in June 2026. Cathay’s own A330-900s have not been delivered, so this shows the same type with another Asian operator. Photo: LMP 2001 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Three more A321neos for HK Express

The narrowbody part of the deal is smaller. The three A321neos add to a 2023 order for 32 A320neo-family aircraft, and Air Data News, Aerospace Global News and Aviation A2Z all report that they are destined for HK Express, Cathay’s low-cost subsidiary. AeroTime notes that the three jets were not covered by the stock exchange filing.

HK Express Airbus A321neo B-KKC on final approach to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
HK Express A321neo B-KKC on approach to Taoyuan in February 2026. Three more A321neos in the new order are reported to be going to Cathay’s low-cost subsidiary. Photo: 4300streetcar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

HK Express already runs an all-Airbus narrowbody fleet, flying its A321neos in a high-density, single-class layout of mostly 236 seats, according to Air Data News. The extra jets will support its expansion to mainland China and other short-haul markets. Cathay Pacific itself flies 18 A321neos in a two-class layout with 195 or 202 seats, the same outlet notes.

“Together the A330-900 and A321neo aircraft give the airline the flexibility to match capacity to demand, bringing versatility while benefiting from lower fuel burn and the efficiencies of a streamlined Airbus fleet.”
Benoit de Saint-Exupery — EVP Sales, Airbus Commercial Aircraft (Airbus press release, 11 November 2026)

Part of a bigger shopping list

The order is the latest step in a long fleet renewal at Cathay. AeroTime points out that the airline exercised rights for 14 additional Boeing 777-9s in August 2025, taking that commitment to 35, and for two more Airbus A350F freighters in May 2026.

Simple Flying looks at Cathay Pacific’s fleet plans after its first A330neo order in 2024.

For Airbus, it is another repeat order for its re-engined widebody from an airline that already knows the A330 inside out. For Cathay, it is a bet that Hong Kong’s regional routes will still need plenty of mid-size twin-aisle capacity well into the 2030s. The airline now has 41 A330neos coming. It just needs the first one to arrive.

Sources: Airbus, Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing (via AeroTime and Aviation A2Z), AeroTime, Air Data News, Aerospace Global News, Aviation A2Z, FlightGlobal

Header photo: Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Preguntas frecuentes

How many A330neos has Cathay Pacific ordered?
Cathay Pacific now has 41 Airbus A330-900s on firm order. It ordered 30 in 2024 and, on 11 November 2026, exercised purchase rights for 11 more. The new order also includes three A321neos, making 14 Airbus aircraft in total.
When will Cathay Pacific receive its new A330neos?
According to Cathay’s Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing, as reported by AeroTime, the 11 additional A330-900s are expected between 2031 and 2035. The first batch of 30 is due earlier, but Cathay Pacific had not received its first A330-900 when the new order was announced in November 2026.
How much is Cathay Pacific’s A330neo order worth?
Cathay’s stock exchange filing gives a basic price of about US$5.11 billion (HK$39.9 billion) for the 11 A330-900s. Cathay said Airbus granted significant price concessions, so the actual price is lower, and the exchange allowed it to keep the final figure confidential.
Which aircraft will the A330neo replace at Cathay Pacific?
The A330-900s will progressively replace Cathay Pacific’s existing mid-size widebodies, mainly its fleet of more than 40 A330-300s. They will fly mostly regional routes across Asia from Hong Kong, with the range to operate longer flights if needed.
Who will fly the three new A321neos in Cathay’s order?
Air Data News, Aerospace Global News and Aviation A2Z report that the three A321neos in the November 2026 order will go to HK Express, Cathay’s low-cost subsidiary. They add to a 2023 order for 32 A320neo-family aircraft and will support expansion on short-haul routes.
¿Qué motor impulsa el Airbus A330neo?
The Airbus A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 turbofans. Airbus says the A330-900 can fly up to 8,100 nautical miles non-stop and burns 25 percent less fuel than previous-generation competitor aircraft, a manufacturer figure.

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