NICHOLAS IONIDES / SINGAPORE
Cathay Pacific Airways has taken an internal decision to acquire Airbus A300-600 freighters over Boeing 767s for its planned regional cargo operation and hopes to put the first converted example into service by the end of next year.
Sources say Cathay is officially still keeping its options open on the 767 if it can find good deals on used aircraft, although it is focusing on the A300 and is assessing conversion plans. In June it wet-leased an A300B4-200F but wants all its future regional freighters to be the more advanced -600F.
The airline wants deliveries to begin in mid-2003 but believes that first delivery will not be possible until the end of 2003 as it will need time to source and convert used aircraft. Cathay is still evaluating the acquisition method - leases or outright purchases. It tentatively plans to acquire eight aircraft for use by subsidiary Air Hong Kong as part of an expanded tie-up with express freight company DHL.
EADS-EFW is the only company offering conversions on the A300-600, and secured a supplemental type certificate (STC) for its first A300-600 passenger-to-freighter conversion early this year. A key issue is the availability of a conversion developed from the BAE Systems STC for the A300B4. Although the manufacturer is closing the conversion programme, it is trying to sell the operation and has completed a considerable amount of work on the A300-600 which could be used to launch a conversion if a buyer is found.
Cathay announced in April that it would refocus the operations of Air Hong Kong on intra-Asian services and transfer long-haul freighter services back to its own cargo operation, but declines to comment on aircraft acquisition plans.
Source: Flight International
