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Cathay Pacific Airways CEO Ronald Lam
RIO DE JANEIRO—Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways CEO Ronald Lam has given an update on the Boeing 777-9, for which Cathay Pacific has 35 on order.
“The latest delivery schedule is now planned to be by the end of 2027, which is all subject to the certification process,” Lam told ATW during a media briefing on the sidelines of this week’s IATA AGM in Rio de Janeiro on June 7.
“We haven’t got a firm schedule yet, but we are in a very close conversation with Boeing,” Lam said. Delivery is important in two ways. “First, it is a new aircraft, and it is also about a new first-class product. That is significant and that’s what why we are telling Boeing how important the aircraft is.”
“I think the 777X certification is making progress and is quite close. Therefore, I’m hopeful it is down to just the last mile that needs to be closed before we get to the delivery,” Lam said.
Cathay’s current aircraft orders for more than 100 aircraft will be partially for replacement and partially for growth. “The next 10 years will be very important for us as a home-based carrier in Hong Kong,” Lam said.
Since 2024, Hong Kong has been a three-runway airport. “The next decade will be a golden opportunity for the Cathay Group to grow and therefore we have made [aircraft] investment decisions to prepare for the window to grow,” Lam said. “But we won’t stop. I think we will continue to review our [fleet] requirements and at the right time we may place more aircraft orders.
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