Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific launch new aircraft for Australian flyers

Hong Kong airline carrier Cathay Pacific has introduced a new aircraft in Australia – said to be one of the most advanced planes in the world.

Hong Kong airline carrier Cathay Pacific has launched a new plane that’s made its first flight to Australia — dubbed as one of the most advanced aircraft models in the world.

The Airbus A350-1000 touched down at 12pm in Melbourne following its very first flight from Hong Kong, marking the first time the Airbus model that has been used on scheduled services to Australia.

Able to carry 334 passengers, the airline is also set to launch the new 1000 aircraft on their Perth-Hong Kong route from Monday.

The new plane joins the airline’s three daily flights between Melbourne and Hong Kong, with the main difference between the A350-1000 and 900 models being the size of the plane. The new 1000 model — which is 7 metres longer — will be able to carry a total of 334 passengers, which is 54 more than the 900.

The new A350 landed in Melbourne on Sunday.

For passengers, some of the biggest difference will be the business class area of the plane. Instead of being split by a galley, all business seats will be in a single cabin on the aircraft.

The airline says this new model — which isn’t used by any other airline in Australia just yet — 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 passengers.

Inside the Business cabin on the new Airbus A350-1000.

Inside the Economy cabin on the new Airbus A350-1000.

Inside the Premium Economy cabin on the new Airbus A350-1000.

The cabin itself features LED mood lighting, Wi-Fi and new in-flight entertainment offerings.

“We are proud to be the first airline to launch the A350-1000 in Australia and to offer one of the youngest long-haul fleets in the sky,” said Rakesh Raicar, Cathay Pacific Regional General Manager South West Pacific.

“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 plane is the first A350-1000 to be used in Australia.

A further increase in A350-1000 services is planned for the end of the year, with Mr Raicar saying the plane was ideal for “long and skinny’’ routes such as that between Hong Kong and Auckland.

Engines are also more powerful on the new plane. Two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines generate 90,000 pounds of thrust each, 13,000 pounds more than the earlier plane.

Rolls-Royce has had trouble with some of the Trent engines powering Dreamliners but has avoided problems with the engines powering Airbus XWBs (extra wide bodies).

The bigger engines mean the takeoff weight can be 316 tonnes, almost 40 tonnes more than the earlier plane. This allows for extra cargo, critical to Cathay’s global operations.

Qatar Airways was set to be the first airline to launch the new Airbus in Australia, but the launch of the plane on the Doha-Sydney route has been delayed until mid-November.