Cathay Group has announced the addition of another freighter to its cargo fleet, with Air Hong Kong signing a lease agreement for an Airbus A330P2F converted freighter set to join operations during the fourth quarter of 2026.
Primarily, the aircraft will serve routes to the Chinese Mainland and other regional destinations, providing additional capacity for Cathay Cargo. This announcement comes a month after Cathay Cargo placed a firm order for two additional Airbus A350F freighters.
Building out the fleet
Air Hong Kong, the all-cargo airline subsidiary of Cathay Group and the first freighter operator based in Hong Kong, currently flies a fleet of 14 A330 freighters, providing express cargo services for DHL Express.
According to the group, the new aircraft will be leased long-term from Air Transport Services Group through its subsidiary, Cargo Aircraft Management.
Dominic Perret, Director of Cargo at Cathay, declared that the additional freighter supports the group’s broader capacity plans.
“The additional capacity offered by Air Hong Kong’s latest A330 freighter will complement Cathay Cargo’s future A350F freighters, providing us with greater agility to build our regional cargo network and making more options available for our freight forwarder partners,” Perret said.
Agatha Lee, Chief Operating Officer at Air Hong Kong, said that the airline is looking to take advantage of the Three-Runway System at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
“This marks an exciting chapter for Air Hong Kong as we expand our business to support the ongoing development of the Hong Kong international aviation hub,” Lee remarked.
Cathay’s cargo network
Cathay Cargo operates its own fleet of 20 Boeing 747 freighters and also uses belly capacity on the group’s passenger aircraft, which serve more than 100 destinations worldwide.
The Cathay Group has committed over HK $100 billion (US $12.8 billion) in investments across its fleet, cabin and lounge products, and digital systems. That includes orders for more than 100 aircraft spanning narrowbody, regional widebody, long-haul widebody, and large freighter types as part of a broader fleet renewal and expansion program.