Cathay Pacific’s First Class Future: Exclusive Insights from the Airline’s Top Team

Skift Take

Boeing 777X delays are forcing Cathay Pacific to strip out first class cabins without an immediate replacement. The company’s senior leaders share their strategy with Skift.

Gordon Smith

Last week was an important one for Cathay Pacific. The Hong Kong carrier unveiled its new business class cabin, known as the ‘Aria Suite’. The product represents a significant leap forward in passenger comfort and design for some of the airline’s most lucrative customers – but the launch presented questions about future of first class.

Cathay’s ambition is to be the world’s best premium airline. The carrier already competes strongly with international rivals, but there’s no room for complacency in this industry – especially at the top end of the market.

As work begins on rolling out Aria to 30 of Cathay’s Boeing 777-300ERs, attention (and speculation) now turns to first class. This ultra-exclusive cabin is part of the airline’s DNA. In 1983, it became the Asian carrier to offer first, business, and economy services on every flight.

More recently, it has trimmed back its first class offering to a select fleet of 777-300ERs operating to global centers including London, Paris, and New York. However, even these planes are due to lose their first class seats when they enter the maintenance hangar to have Aria fitted. So what’s going on?

Cathay Chairman’s First Class Commitment

Speaking exclusively to Skift onboard the first Aria-equipped jet, Patrick Healy, the Cathay Chairman, reinforced the airline’s commitment to first class. “If you aspire to be one of the best – or ultimately, hopefully, – the best premium airline in the world, then having a world-leading first class is part of that. I think it’s difficult to claim that you’re really up there without an outstanding first class product.”

Healy’s comments confirm that first class will play an important role in supporting Cathay’s premium ambitions. However, the logistical reality is more complex. 

The airline is awaiting Boeing’s new 777X aircraft before launching a new first class cabin. Earlier this month, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg announced a further delay to an already troubled program. The first 777Xs were due to arrive in 2020, but a series of setbacks have severely hampered the roll-out. 

Ortberg said on October 11 that Boeing now expects to make the first delivery in 2026 as a result of challenges with development, the ongoing strike, and a pause in flight testing.

Cathay has a confirmed order for 21 777Xs – specifically the 777-9 variant. Earlier plans saw the introduction of the 777X dovetail neatly with the 777-300ER overhauls, but that timeline now appears hugely ambitious. 

‘A Skeleton Network of First Class’

Speaking at the Aria launch event, Vivian Lo, Cathay’s head of customer experience and design, explained how the carrier is navigating the delivery challenges and trying to avoid a period without a first class at all.

“We are still working through the plans and thinking through the execution. At the moment we are keeping a number of 777-300ERs that have first class seats so that in the future they will seamlessly cross over to the new first class. We continue to work on that plan.” 

Lo said the airline intends to keep a “skeleton network of first class” for its most prestigious routes, hinting that these aircraft may remain in service in their current form until their 777X successors arrive. “There will be less [first class] flights, but there will still be a core operation,” Lo added.

Skift later caught up with Cathay Pacific CEO, Ronald Lam. Asked for his assessment of the 777X delays, Lam described the situation as “a moving target.” He said current efforts were focused on the successful roll-out of the 777-300ER Aria overhaul, noting that the airline “will focus on this one first.”

In August, Cathay Pacific signed a major deal with Boeing’s European rival Airbus for 30 A330neo widebody planes. The new jets are due for delivery between 2028 and 2031. The wider Cathay Group now has more than 100 new aircraft in its delivery pipeline from Airbus and Boeing, with options for an additional 80.

Cathay Promises ‘Mindblowing’ New First Class

Industry whispers suggest that Cathay may adopt the ‘Halo Suite’ brand for its new first class, mirroring the naming convention applied to the Aria. The company is remaining characteristically tight-lipped on what its new first class will look like, but Skift was able to tease a few comments from Cathay’s top team.

Chairman Patrick Healy said the new product will be “mindblowing,” adding that it is “a really, really special product and very impressive.” 

For his part, CEO Ronald Lam said the current plan is for the new cabin to be revealed “next year or the year after,” highlighting that the company first needs to “firm up the schedule for the 777-9.” 

Asked by Skift if there is a risk that Aria could outclass an aging first class cabin ahead of its overhaul, customer experience and design lead Vivian Lo replied confidently: “First class is extremely important to us. Aria is amazing, but first is best.”

Cathay is not alone in investing heavily in a next-generation first class offering. Air France, British Airways, and Swiss are among the big names rolling out new ultra-premium products. In July, Skift spoke with Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer to hear the airline’s latest plans for its flagship cabin.