Cathay Pacific has announced that its new low-cost subsidiary Hong Kong Express (branded as ‘HK Express’) will receive 16 Airbus A321neo aircraft.
The A321neo jets were originally destined for Cathay’s regional arm Cathay Dragon, which will now receive 16 instead of 32 A321neo airplanes. Cathay Dragon’s A321neos will be delivered between 2020 and 2022, whereas HK Express expects to take delivery of its first A321neo from 2022 onwards.
HK Express currently operates 24 A320 family aircraft (including five A320neo, with seven more due for delivery) on short- and medium-haul routes from Hong Kong International Airport to destinations in Asia.
In March this year, Cathay Pacific agreed to a deal to acquire the low-cost competitor from Chinese HNA Group. According to the airline’s parent company, HK Express (officially Hong Kong Express Ltd.) will remain as a standalone, low-cost airline, focusing on serving mostly leisure travel destinations.
Besides the A321neo aircraft that will be delivered to its subsidiaries, Cathay Pacific has outstanding orders for Boeing 777-9 and Airbus A350 (both A350-900 and A350-1000) aircraft.
Nick Wenzel founded International Flight Network in 2016. He is the Social Media Manager and an Editor for IFN.news.
