Taking off on its maiden commercial flight to Shanghai on 4 August
Cathay Pacific’s state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft will enter into commercial service on 4 August 2021 when it takes its inaugural flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai (Pudong). We intend to deploy the aircraft on flights to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Kaohsiung and Taipei during August.
Cathay Pacific has already taken delivery of four A321neos and will receive a further two during the second half of 2021. We will have a total of 16 A321neos in our fleet by the end of 2023. The aircraft has a total of 202 seats, including 12 in Business Class and 190 in Economy Class.
Chief Executive Officer Augustus Tang said: “We’re incredibly excited to see our next-generation A321neo take to the skies for the first time next month as we continue to add more passenger services in the region. The single-aisle A321neo is the newest addition to our fleet and has been designed and fitted with an array of new features that offer the most enjoyable short-haul experience in the world to our customers. We look forward to deploying A321neos on more regional routes and welcoming customers on board.”
Elevated Customer Experience
Our A321neo offers increased operational efficiency and an array of exciting new features that set new standards for comfort, space and entertainment.
The A321neo is our first aircraft to feature our newly designed Regional Business Class seat product. This next-generation hard-shell recliner seat provides a cocoon-like feel with divider screens for maximum privacy, while the 15.6-inch 4K Ultra-HD personal TV screens offer an incredible in-flight entertainment experience. Meanwhile, the Economy Class seats feature 11.6-inch 4K personal TV screens along with a generous recline, comfortable seat cushions and new adjustable headrests.
With the A321neo, Cathay Pacific is the first airline in the world to provide 4K ultra-high-definition screens, a 4K video-on-demand experience as well as Bluetooth audio streaming (being introduced progressively) across all cabins. Customers will be able to watch 4K Hollywood blockbusters using their own Bluetooth-enabled headphones on our flights.
In addition, the A321neo will have a new and enhanced content selection providing one of the largest movie and TV libraries available on a regional single-aisle aircraft. And with high-speed Wi-Fi onboard (being introduced progressively), customers can catch up on emails or stay in touch with friends and family.
We’ve also added new extra-large overhead storage bins in all cabins, providing 60% more space for passengers to stow their carry-on luggage.
In addition to incredible customer comfort, our A321neos are also more efficient than ever. Thanks to their elegant winglets and advanced LEAP engines, they deliver a 22% reduction in CO2 emissions on a per-seat basis when compared to the previous A321 aircraft. They are also quieter, creating almost 15% less noise than existing aircraft.
With Cathay Care, our commitment to the wellbeing of all travellers, our customers can take off with confidence with enhanced hygiene and safety measures across every stage of the journey. These include high-tech HEPA ventilation technology to ensure the highest-quality air possible and rigorous disinfection and cleaning measures to insure our cabins are thoroughly sanitised ahead of every journey.
