Airbus A340-300 among eight aircraft to enter Cathay fleet

Cathay Pacific Airways is expected to take delivery of its new Airbus Industrie A340-300 passenger aircraft tomorrow.

Leased from United States-based International Lease Finance Corp, the aircraft is part of an HK$8 billion fleet expansion programme announced last year.

Cathay, the only Hong Kong-based long-haul carrier, is also due to begin taking delivery of seven of the smaller A330-300s at the end of the week.

The A340 is leased for five years with an option to extend.

The new aircraft arrive at a time of uncertainty for the region's airlines as the US economy begins to slow.

However, Cathay, which is 45 per cent owned by conglomerate Swire Pacific, has seen strong growth both in passenger and cargo numbers over the past few months.