Cathay Pacific 2011 Annual Report Download - page 7

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited Annual Report 2011 5
In 2011 the core business of Cathay Pacific and Dragonair was materially affected by
instability and uncertainty in the world’s major economies. The passenger business
remained relatively strong, with premium class travel robust through the year.
Economy class yields were down in the second half. The cargo business, however,
was particularly weak, with demand significantly down for the last three quarters,
particularly from our key markets in Hong Kong and Mainland China. High jet fuel
prices also had a significant impact on operating profit. The long-term strategy
remains unchanged, namely the continued expansion of our network and fleet,
continued investment in products and services and continued development of
Hong Kong as one of the world’s leading international aviation hubs.
2011 in Review
Award winning products and services
Cathay Pacific has started to install premium economy
class cabins in its long-haul aircraft. The first flight of
an aircraft fitted with a new cabin will take place
in April 2012. New cabins will be installed in all
Cathay Pacific’s long-haul aircraft. By the end of 2013
new cabins will have been installed on 87 aircraft.
The seats in the new premium economy class cabins
are bigger and more comfortable than those in
economy class and will provide more leg room. Each
seat has an 8-inch recline, a leg-rest, a foot-rest, a
10.6-inch screen television and a multi-port connector.
Premium economy class passengers will have
dedicated check-in counters, priority boarding and
enhanced service in the air.
In March 2012 we started to install a new economy
class seat on our long-haul Boeing 777-300ER and
Airbus A330-300 aircraft. By the end of 2013 the seats
are expected to have been installed in 62 aircraft. The
new seat is more comfortable and has more storage
space than the old one and has an outlet for mobile
devices and a touch-screen television.
Our new business class seats (which were first
introduced in March 2011) have been installed in nine
recently delivered Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A330-
300 aircraft. The seats are also being installed in
existing aircraft of these types. At the end of 2011 the
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seats had been installed in 15 aircraft. By the end of
2012 they are expected to have been installed in 49
aircraft. Feedback from passengers has been very
positive. The key features of the seat are a full-flat bed
and a combination of openness and privacy.
Work continued on the refurbishment of The Wing,
Cathay Pacific’s signature lounge at Hong Kong
International Airport. The Level 6 Business Class
Lounge reopened in April 2011. The Level 7 Business
Class Lounge closed for refurbishment in May 2011
and reopened to passengers in January 2012. The
whole refurbishment (including the first class lounge) is
expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of
2012. In February 2011, US guidebook publisher
Frommers put The Wing at the top of its list of the
world’s five best international airport lounges.
In November 2011 Cathay Pacific reopened its first and
business class lounge in Frankfurt following an
extensive refurbishment. In December 2011 Cathay
Pacific opened a new first and business class lounge at
San Francisco International Airport.
In July 2011, Cathay Pacific introduced a new uniform,
designed by Hong Kong’s Eddie Lau, for almost 9,000
cabin crew and over 4,000 airport, cargo and
reservations staff. While preserving the best elements
of the old uniform, the new uniform has new elements
which reflect current trends and are aligned with
Cathay Pacific’s brand image.
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