May 31, 2016 – Cathay Pacific Airways’ first A350-900XWB arrived in Hong Kong on May 29, 2016. It is the first of 48 A350s scheduled to be delivered to the airline. The aircraft features Cathay Pacific’s latest business, premium economy and economy products.
“The lower cabin pressure and noise levels combine with our new features to set passengers up for the best sleeping experience possible in the skies,” said Rupert Hogg, chief operating officer at Cathay Pacific. “We have gone all-out to provide the best IFE too. All seats come with the latest HD touchscreen personal TVs and a greater selection of movies, TV, live news channels and music. Inflight wi-fi is also available to connect passengers to family, work and world events, if they choose.”
In business class, alongside a fully flat bed, new features include extra stowage space and Do Not Disturb and Wake Up Call functions, accessed through the IFE. The premium economy and economy seats come with new features including dedicated tablet holders, power outlets and USB ports. Each premium economy seat has a fully integrated leg rest. The six-way headrest in economy is a proprietary design, engineered to provide better support.
The IFE system is equipped with new interactive features and there are wider screens in all classes. Connectivity is installed for the first time in a Cathay Pacific aircraft, enabling passengers to browse the internet, send and receive emails and connect on social media, for a fee. Access to the Cathay Pacific website, a number of partner websites and three live TV news channels is available free of charge.
Cathay Pacific’s first A350-900 is scheduled to enter service on June 1, 2016, with a turnaround flight to Manila, the Philippines. It will operate mainly on regional destinations until more A350s arrive, and the aircraft will be deployed on various long-haul routes from the third quarter of 2016.
