The airline Cathay Pacific is currently examining options for renewing the fleet. The focus here is on short and medium-haul routes in particular. The carrier was hit hard by the corona pandemic and the quarantine regulations imposed by Hong Kong.

Company boss Augustus Tang explained to Bloomberg, among other things, that the Boeing 737 Max is also being evaluated in the medium-haul segment. So far, Cathay Pacific has used Airbus aircraft in this segment. The manager also said the fleet renewal is "crucial" for the carrier's future, but didn't give specific numbers.

The company received an additional line of credit of approximately $994 million last week. This is initially limited to one year and is intended to help Cathay Pacific recover. Hong Kong's largest airline was already struggling before the pandemic, with protracted protests in 2019 and 2020 leading to air travel restrictions. The entry and quarantine regulations issued by the leadership of the Chinese special administrative region have brought flight operations to a virtual standstill for long periods of time.

As for the manufacturer, Tang said it has not yet decided whether to order from Airbus, Boeing, or both. No decision has yet been made because it is an issue that needs to be “examined very carefully”. Therefore, Cathay Pacific is "considering all possibilities".

In the short term, you want to increase the offer as much as possible. Tang expects demand to/from Hong Kong to continue to increase in the coming months. However, it is not that easy, because the entry and quarantine regulations are still strict. Company information is currently served according to 29 destinations. The company wants to double its portfolio over the course of this year, but it faces a problem: it is having difficulties hiring pilots or persuading them to return to Cathay Pacific. Interest should be kept within very narrow limits.