Cathay Pacific will launch the first commercial services of its new Airbus A321neo next month featuring a newly designed Regional Business Class seat product.
The state-of-the-art A321neo is scheduled to debut on 4 August on the Hong Kong-Shanghai (Pudong) route, and then deployed to other regional destinations including Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Kaohsiung and Taipei during August.
Cathay Pacific has already taken delivery of four A321neos, and will receive a further two during the second half of 2021. By the end of 2023, the airline will 16 A321neos in its fleet.
The aircraft has a total of 202 seats, including 12 in Business class and 190 in Economy class.
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At the pointy end, Cathay Pacific will offer a next-generation hard-shell recliner seat that provides a cocoon-like feel with divider screens for maximum privacy. Business class seats will feature 15.6-inch 4K Ultra-HD personal TV screens, while in the Economy cabin, seats feature 11.6-inch 4K personal TV screens along with a generous recline, comfortable seat cushions and new adjustable headrests.
According to a previous report by Simply Flying, the seats are the Collins Aerospace Air Rest shell design, which can also be found on Oman Air’s Boeing 737 MAX. These seats will offer more privacy than Cathay Pacific’s previous design, thanks to the dividing screen. Each seat can be adjusted to lie back without impinging on the space of the passenger behind. A footrest is also adjustable to create a z-shape seat for comfort. As these seats are being used on regional jets, they do not lie flat.
With the A321neo, Cathay Pacific is the first airline in the world to provide 4K ultra-high-definition screens, a 4K video-on-demand experience as well as Bluetooth audio streaming (being introduced progressively) across all cabins. Customers will be able to watch 4K Hollywood blockbusters using their own Bluetooth-enabled headphones on the flights.
In addition, the A321neo will have a new and enhanced content selection providing one of the largest movie and TV libraries available on a regional single-aisle aircraft. And with high-speed WiFi on board (being introduced progressively), customers can catch up on emails or stay in touch with friends and family.
The Hong Kong-based airlines is also introducing new extra-large overhead storage bins in all cabins, providing 60% more space for passengers to stow their carry-on luggage.
