Adding of new airplanes

[captain.weird]

Guys,


After reading the following article on FG: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/cathay-details-expansion-with-incoming-a350s-777xs-419290/


What do you guys think of how the airline will cope with an expansion like this? More than 50 a/c are for expansion (without retiring, according to article), within 6-7 years.


I can not imagine that the airline can fill all the positions with only an incoming flow of SOs.

[CCA]

Basically CX is in deep **** and Rupert Hogg is being lied to, his plans unfortunately will fail dismally unless there are some major changes.


Cathay details expansion with incoming A350s, 777Xs

19 NOVEMBER, 2015 BY: MAVIS TOH BALI
Cathay Pacific says all of its incoming widebody jets will be directed at growth, and that the group will expand to a fleet of over 230 passenger aircraft by 2025.

Speaking to Flightglobal, chief operating officer Rupert Hogg details that Cathay will add 22 Airbus A350-900s to its fleet over the next two years, followed by 26 A350-1000s from 2018 through to 2020. From 2021, it will also take the first of 21 Boeing 777-9Xs on order.

The mainline carrier now has a fleet of 124 passenger aircraft, comprised largely of Airbus A330s, Boeing 777-300ERs, and some 777-200s, 777-300s, 747s and A340s. Regional unit Dragonair has a fleet of 41 A320 family and A330 jets.

“The 777s, we don’t have to retire any of those in the next 10 years… The key takeaway is that everything we’re buying at the moment is for growth,” says Hogg. “We want to grow about 4-5% in ASKs yearly.”

Under Cathay’s strategy, the -900s will primarily be targeted at helping the airline open new points in Europe, and to add a second or third frequency to existing destinations such as Milan and Amsterdam, says Hogg.

The -1000s will meanwhile allow the Hong Kong flag carrier to fly additional frequencies “more cost effectively” to points in North America, and for upgauging on services where traffic rights or airport capacity are constrained.

“We see a combination of -900s, -1000s and existing 777s In Europe, North America and increasingly in Australia,” he says.

In the longer term, when the 777Xs arrive, the aircraft will mainly be put on routes to North America and Europe, particularly those with high volumes of both passengers and cargo.

The three incoming aircraft types, together with the relatively young 777-300ERs, will hence form the core of Cathay’s long-haul operations. The 777-9X is expected to fill the role now served by the 747s and 777-300ERs, effectively replacing both types over the longer term.

The -900 should eventually replace Cathay’s small fleet of 777-200s and also older A330-300s, while the -1000s will likely replace both the A340s and 777-300s.

Hogg says the airline is not considering the A330neo, adding that “broadly speaking, at the moment we’re okay with the range that we’ve got”.

“That is a lot of aircraft we have coming in a relatively short period of time. But we need it because the growth is there,” he says.

“We have the unique advantage to North America and we’re keen to keep selling that market, and we’re joining the number one and two economies in the world. We see China’s outbound tourism particularly as being a long term big volume big growth story.”

[main_dog]

Ironically, some of our management must be hoping for a downturn to mask the cluster£#k they've made of crewing...

[DropKnee]

That will never happen under the current system in place. One of the casualties of declaring war with your pilots. The airline becomes stagnant and more dysfunctional as the days pass.
So sad.

[Apple Tree Yard]

Managements arrogance and ignorance will prevent them from recognizing that simple truth. Until it's too late.

[Captain Dart]

Apart from crews, they're gonna have to magic up some airspace to operate them in. HKIA is a shambles with the fleet they've got now.

[Lowkoon]

Whats the problem? At the moment we can put someone in the RHS with a total of 80 hours. (less than a single months roster), thats not going to stop expansion is it? They will just keep shifting the goal posts and you know it. Have we seen an increase in training resources? No. We have seen them reduced. Have we seen the training system change to reflect the increasing reduction in cockpit experience? No. We still do the same BS V1 cuts and SE Go around and return. The only 2 things that are going to change it are the CAD growing a pair and actually regulating or a smoking hole. I know where my money lies. :(

[Will IB Fayed]

Despite what appears to be total apathy with the crewing/RP situation, these people aren't complete dimwits. The are accomplished managers, in charge of thousands of people in a very successful, multi-national company.

I firmly believe they have a trump up their sleeve. Whether it be freighters to AHK, direct entry trainers, wet/dry leasing routes, offloading routes to KA, I don't really know. Para 3.8 of my contract allows non-seniority listed people to operate company aircraft in this very circumstance.

[Gnadenburg]

At the moment we can put someone in the RHS with a total of 80 hours. (less than a single months roster), thats not going to stop expansion is it?

And don't forget, for our swaggering brothers at the legacy carrier, there's the 3500 hour Captain now and a management mantra that lack of experience is not a safety issue.

Of course, feedback has not been asked for or welcomed as with other MPL programs around the world.

[Average Fool]

Despite what appears to be total apathy with the crewing/RP situation, these people aren't complete dimwits. The are accomplished managers, in charge of thousands of people in a very successful, multi-national company.

You would think.

But our current situation proves otherwise

[Yonosoy Marinero]

these people aren't complete dimwits.

They could have fooled me...
:hmm:

[Captain Dart]

Their fuel hedging and their Paris base setup wasn't too good.

[WYOMINGPILOT]

Maybe they will open up for DEC on the Airbus and SFO positions on the Boeing. Interesting times!!!

[oriental flyer]

Will IB .
If you aren't management , please could you tell me where to get whatever it is you are smoking because it seems to be working a treat
This company makes money because of its location not because of the quality of its management team

[bringbackthe80s]

If the crewing situation is going to be so desperate as someone seems to think, then sure there will need to be direct entry captains like any other airlines in the world, surely on lower contracts.
One thing I learnt though is that usually the crewing situation is not as bad as us pilots might think. Time will tell.

[goathead]

So , if soo much training is required then think where we could be if we could get the trainers to grow a pair....
They might even improve there own $$$ at the same time ....
Only there is too many falling over themselves to stay in there, and join the training dept concurently
Just saying