Air Hong Kong (AHK), the all-freight airline owned by Cathay Pacific Airways and DHL Worldwide Express, is set to make a final decision on its fleet expansion plans by the end of the year.
AHK chief operating officer David Saechiu yesterday confirmed the joint venture was in the final stages of deliberations on whether to stock its fleet with freighter derivatives of the Airbus Industrie A300 or the similar Boeing B767 product.
'We are still determining what is the right type. We expect to make the decision within one month,' Mr Saechiu said.
He also said it had not yet decided whether to go with newbuild aircraft or buy from the second-hand market. 'Whether to go new or used would depend on the economics.'
Mr Saechiu said AHK's revamped regional operations, unveiled when DHL became a 30 per cent shareholder in the airline in October, could begin once the fleet expansion plan was finalised and the aircraft were delivered.
It is widely believed that the A300 has been tentatively pencilled in as AHK's top choice. In July, AHK leased an A300 freighter for use on a service to Osaka, dropping all its other routes operated with B747-200 aircraft leased from then parent Cathay.
Mr Saechiu said the Osaka operation was continuing even as the carrier was relaunching itself because 'we appreciate the Japanese market's importance'.
