The cargo division of Cathay Pacific is expanding its freight capacity by acquiring an Airbus A330 aircraft that has been converted from a passenger plane into a cargo freighter. This route will be operated by Air Hong Kong under a long-term lease agreement with the Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) subsidiary Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM).
Cathay and the A330(P2F)
The Airbus A330(P2F) – passenger to freighter – will undergo a process where older passenger airframes are modernised with a reinforced floor, main-deck cargo door, and advanced loading systems.
This aircraft will enter service in Q4 2026 and will be operated by Air Hong Kong, Cathay’s wholly owned all-cargo subsidiary, primarily serving regional routes and mainland China.
According to Cathay Pacific, it will focus heavily on intra-Asia operations, linking the Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) hub to the Chinese Mainland and adjacent regional markets.
While Cathay Cargo traditionally relies on massive Boeing 747 freighters for long-haul routes, adding the smaller, highly efficient A330(P2F) allows them to flexibly meet the surging regional demand for e-commerce and express shipping.
Air Hong Kong
Air Hong Kong is a cargo airline based in Hong Kong International Airport. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific that operates express freight services primarily for DHL Express.
The airline flies to more than a dozen cities across Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, with key destinations including Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, and Singapore.
Prior to this A330(P2F) addition, Air Hong Kong fully modernised its operations into an all-Airbus A330 freighter fleet (consisting of 10 A330-300P2Fs and four A330-200Fs). Cathay Pacific’s own cargo division operates six B747-400ERFs and 14 B747-8Fs.
This partnership will boost cargo volume capacity to the Chinese Mainland and broader Asia-Pacific region, as this volume will secure HKIA’s long-term ranking as the world’s busiest global air cargo hub. The aircraft also directly capitalises on HKIA’s newly expanded Three-Runway System infrastructure. The extra mid-range freighter will utilise the airport’s increased slot availability and runway to ramp up traffic.
What are your thoughts on this new addition? Are you flying with Air Hong Kong? Let us know in the comments below!
