Cathay Pacific’s new business-class suites arrive in Australia

Australian customers can finally experience Cathay Pacific’s new business-class suites, as the airline begins a long-awaited Australian roll-out of its redesigned cabins, starting with its Sydney-Hong Kong service.

Tuesday afternoon’s CX100 flight to Hong Kong marked the first of the carrier’s refurbished three-class Boeing 777-300ERs to take to Australian skies, and the first long-haul route outside of Europe to feature Cathay’s Aria Suite.

The upgraded aircraft are currently flying five of the airline’s 28 flights a week on the route; from early April the redesigned cabins will regularly be on daily flight CX162.

Cathay Pacific’s all-new flat-bed Aria Suite business-class is now available on the Sydney to Hong Kong route.

Cathay also flies to Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns and Perth. There’s no word yet on when the new seats will become available on those routes.

The new-look aircraft – part of a major fleet overhaul conceived nearly eight years ago – also includes redesigned premium economy seats and a refreshed economy cabin.

Frosti Lau, Cathay regional general manager for Southwest Pacific, said the choice of Sydney as the second long-haul route to fly the Aria Suite ‒ following the London-Hong Kong launch in January ‒ shows the importance of the Australian market, and comes on the back of another milestone.

“We are thrilled to see our newest cabin products on our Sydney-Hong Kong route so soon after we
celebrated the direct serviceʼs 50th anniversary in late 2024,” said Lau.

Instantly adjust lighting and seat position with new presets for dining, sleeping, take-off and more.

The number of Australians travelling to Hong Kong remains well below pre-COVID levels, with just 175,000 total visitors in 2024, compared with more than 350,000 for the same period in 2019 – a decline of 50 per cent.

The Cathay Group, which has struggled with a pilot shortage, is on track to return to global pre-pandemic capacity in the first quarter of 2025, according to the airline.

So what can Australian customers expect from the new Aria Suite? Sliding privacy doors, bigger entertainment screens and preset movie and meal modes are just some of the key features.

With cream and caramel tones and a stylish wrap-around seat design, the Aria comes with a lie-flat bed, a marble-style side console with built-in wireless charger for smartphones and other devices, multiple storage spaces, and charging ports.

Sydney’s is the first long-haul route outside of Europe to feature Cathay’s Aria Suite.

The touchscreen controls feature an array of activity-based presets for lighting and seat position, which passengers can adjust at the press of a button by selecting taxi, take-off, landing, meal, reading, lounge or bed.

Passengers can also pair Bluetooth-enabled headphones and access a screen app for checking lavatory status from the comfort of their suite, to save lining up for the loo.

Another novelty is the “Gallery in the Skies” at the business class cabin’s entrance, featuring works from artists with a connection to Hong Kong, ranging from urban landscapes to vivid dreamscapes.

Passengers can enjoy added privacy thanks to an adjustable wing with an integrated reading light.

The revamped premium economy seats, which come in a palette of brown leather and cool blue, feature a seat pitch of 40 inches (102 centimetres) and a width of 21 inches (53 centimetres), with a swing-up leg rest.

The 4K high-definition touchscreens with Bluetooth connectivity are 15.6 inches (40 centimetres) and feel enormous.

Each seat has a leather headrest with adjustable privacy wings and an integrated reading light, a press-button tray table and an additional cocktail table with extendable surface.

The economy refresh includes new dress covers, enhanced ergonomics and additional overhead bin space. It features the same flexible headrest, tablet holder, USB charging ports and power outlets as the previous design.

As part of the multimillion-dollar refurbishment, the airline’s first-class cabin has been removed, replaced with 45 flat-bed Aria suites; 48 premium economy seats (an increase of 16); and 268 economy seats. The airline is one of several that have ditched first-class seats in favour of upgraded business-class offerings, with the luxury of first-class travel increasingly a rarity in the sky.

As part of the fleet overhaul, Cathay will be taking delivery of 22 new Boeing 777-9 jets from 2026, featuring a new first-class seat.

There are also plans to launch new cabins on its A330s, along with a new flat-bed business class.