CATHAY PACIFIC TAKES DELIVERY OF FIRST AIRBUS WITH NEW FIRST CLASS

Cathay Pacific Airways welcomes the arrival in Hong Kong of its first Airbus aircraft to be installed with the airline's highly acclaimed new First Class cabin. The Airbus A340-300 is scheduled to land at Hong Kong International Airport at 8:40pm after a 12 hour 30 minute flight from Toulouse, France. This will be the first of 19 of Cathay Pacific's Airbus aircraft to be fitted with the new First Class.

The new First Class cabin offers the world's most exclusive and elegant travel experience. Among its prize-winning features the cabin contains the widest beds in the sky, a Personal Cinema with a wide selection of movies, specially trained cabin crew, and a dedicated galley in which a range of fresh food can be prepared.

The new First Class cabin will be fitted in another 14 of Cathay Pacific's Airbus A340-300s and four of its Airbus A330-300s. The installation will be complete by the end of next year. The new First Class has been extremely well received by passengers since it was introduced on the airline's fleet of Boeing 747-400s in May 1999.

Cathay Pacific's Director Service Delivery Robert Cutler said: "We are delighted to welcome the arrival of our first Airbus aircraft to include our new First Class. This heralds the arrival of a new age of luxury for our Airbus passengers. Now we will be able to offer our premium First Class service on almost every route we fly."

Cathay Pacific operates its A340-300s on long-haul routes such as between Hong Kong and Rome, Zurich, and San Francisco. In their current configuration the aircraft carry 12 First Class passengers, 40 Business Class passengers, and 197 in Economy Class. With the new First Class installed, the A340-300 configuration has eight in First Class, 38 in Business Class, and 197 in Economy Class. Having fewer seats in First Class offers passengers greater exclusivity, more individual space, and more privacy.

The centrepiece of the new First Class cabin is a highly comfortable seat which can recline into a fully horizontal bed. The cabin also features fully adjustable personal televisions offering a wide range of movies and entertainment, freshly prepared meals, and luxurious duvets and sleeper suits. Cabin crew who work in the new First Class cabin receive special training to deliver service excellence.

The new First Class is equipped with rice cookers and toasters so passengers can have a range of freshly prepared cuisine, including steamed rice, congee, eggs, and toast. A newly introduced buffet table offers extra flexibility in meal presentation, and freshly brewed espresso and cappuccino are available on all flights.