Cathay Pacific Lands New Zealand’s First A350-1000
Today (Monday, 28 October), Cathay Pacific became the first airline to bring the world’s most advanced passenger
aircraft to New Zealand, the Airbus A350-1000.
Flight CX113 touched down in Auckland at approximately 1:15pm, heralding the start of the A350-1000’s three times weekly
visit.
A further increase in A350-1000 services is planned for the end of the year with the aircraft arriving twice daily
between December 2019 and February 2020.
The advanced A350-1000 brings together the very latest in aerodynamics, design and advanced technologies, providing
improved fuel efficiency as well as a state-of-the-art travel experience for customers.
From a quieter cabin to LED mood lighting, the aircraft greatly improv
es passenger comfort and helps travellers arrive at their destination feeling refreshed.
The A350-1000 carries 334 passengers in its Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class cabins - 54 more than the
A350-900.
All Cathay Pacific A350 aircraft are also equipped with Wi-Fi, allowing customers to remain connected throughout their
journey. New inflight entertainment offerings across the fleet will keep passengers entertained with newly released
movies, more complete boxsets and live sports events so no breath-taking moments will be missed.
Cathay Pacific Regional General Manager – South West Pacific Rakesh Raicar said: “We are proud to be the first airline
to launch the A350-1000 in New Zealand and to offer one of the youngest long-haul fleets in the sky.”
“At Cathay Pacific, our passengers remain our top priority. The launch of this aircraft will allow us to deliver further
enhanced features that improve the comfort and overall travel experience of our guests.”
The number of Cathay Pacific flights departing Christchurch each week is also being increased from three to four
starting in December 2019 through to February 2020.
All Christchurch services will be served by the A350-900, meaning all Cathay Pacific flights to and from New Zealand
will be served by one of the A350 aircraft family.
Auckland Airport’s General Manager of Aeronautical Commercial, Scott Tasker, said “We are delighted that Cathay Pacific
will be the first airline to bring the A350-1000 to New Zealand skies. This aircraft encompasses the latest smart
features in terms of technology and comfort, which will prove popular with passengers.”
“We have an excellent partnership with Cathay Pacific, both our brands are future focused with customer service at the
centre of what we do. The introduction of this latest Cathay Pacific aircraft to Auckland is a welcome addition for the
upcoming summer peak visitor season”, said Mr Tasker.
Out of New Zealand, Cathay Pacific has over 10 flights a week to Hong Kong from Auckland and Christchurch. All flights
provide excellent connections to the airline’s worldwide network, including an extensive number of cities in mainland
China served by Cathay Dragon.