Cathay Pacific Airways held a special event at Auckland International Airport today to celebrate the arrival of the first Airbus A350-900 aircraft into New Zealand. The state-of-the-art aircraft was piloted by an all Kiwi crew, led by Chief Pilot Airbus Captain Gavin Haslemore and Senior Captain Colin Davis.
The Minister of Transport, Hon Simon Bridges, Cathay Pacific’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Dane Cheng, and Anna Cassels-Brown, GM, People and Safety at Auckland Airport were official guest speakers at the function and joined in cutting a celebratory cake to mark the historic occasion.
Mr Cheng said that the A350, the newest passenger aircraft in the world, features a lower effective cabin altitude, which helps lessen passenger fatigue, and reduced noise levels, which combined with other innovations “takes our passenger experience to a whole new level.”
The A350 employs innovative technology to improve the overall performance of the aircraft. Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, the A350 is the quietest among the aircraft types in its class and also 25% more fuel efficient.
Wi-Fi is available on board, allowing passengers for a fee to browse the internet, send and receive emails, and connect on social media. Access to the Cathay Pacific website, a number of partner websites and three live satellite TV news channels is available free of charge.
The A350’s Business Class seats, designed by F. A. Porsche studio, builds on the success of Cathay Pacific’s award winning long-haul Business Class product. New features include a fully flat bed that is now 3 inches longer, extra stowage space within easy reach, and a personal “Do Not Disturb” and “Wake up Call” function in the entertainment system.
The Premium Economy Class and Economy Class seats also come with a number of new features, including a dedicated tablet holder that makes it easy for passengers to enjoy entertainment content on their own devices, and exclusive power outlets and USB ports. Each Premium Economy Class seat has a fully integrated leg rest, which, together with the ergonomically designed seat, allows more flexibility to adjust for optimal comfort. The six-way headrest in Economy Class is a proprietary design that provides better support and enhances sleeping comfort.
The aircraft will operate on the Auckland – Hong Kong route from now on until December when it will be joined by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to provide a double daily Cathay Pacific service during the summer. Thanks to a codeshare agreement with Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific has been able to offer up to three flights between the two cities.
