LONDON: Cathay Pacific is considering its options for new first class suites on the Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 777-9X, but might remove the primo cabin from some of its Boeing 777s as the newer jets take over on popular routes.
While the airline is now finalising the design of a new business class to debut in February 2016 on the smaller Airbus A350-900s, the shape of the new first class seat “has yet to be determined” says Cathay Pacific product exec Toby Smith.
Read: Cathay Pacific to launch new business class in February 2016
That’s because Cathay’s A350-900s will be only a three-class aircraft of business, premium economy and economy cabins. Only the larger A350-1000s due from 2018 will have a first class cabin.
Cathay’s not about to turn away its highest-revenue passengers, with Smith quick to assure Australian Business Traveller that “we’re keeping first class. We just need to work out what fleet type is the most optimum, on the A350-1000s, whether we keep it on the Boeing 777s, and obviously we have the Boeing 777-9X coming.”
A 2018 debut for a new first class suite on Cathay Pacific’s flagship A350-1000 would be in keeping with the timeline for the current first class design, which was introduced in 2007.
