Paris, France – Airbus said on Friday that it had secured an order for 32 A320neo planes from Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, as the airline expands its flights to the Chinese mainland and elsewhere in Asia.
Financial details of the sale were not disclosed, though at current list prices the deal would be worth $3.2 to $4.1 billion.
Cathay had signaled in August that it intended to bulk up its fleet of the popular medium-haul jets, on top of an original order for 32 A320neos in 2017.
Airbus says the more fuel-efficient versions of the single-aisle A320 planes are the best sellers in the industry, competing with the 737 MAX from Boeing.
“Cathay is one of the world’s leading airline groups and we are proud to be part of its recovery and growth plan,” the European planemaker’s chief commercial officer Christian Scherer said in a statement.
Thirteen planes from the original 2017 order have already been delivered, and Cathay said on August 10 that the new jets are expected to be delivered by 2029.
“These aircraft feature the latest technological enhancements to provide a quieter, more comfortable and more fuel-efficient journey for our customers,” Cathay’s chief Ronald Lam said at the time.
