Cathay Pacific (CX, Hong Kong International) will phase out its fleet of B747-400(F)s and A340-300s between 2016 and 2017 as it pushes ahead with its fleet renewal plan. The Hong Kong-based carrier said in a statement that it intends to sell six of its B747-400(F)s back to Boeing (BOE, Washington National) with four of them now parked. Four B747-400s are also to be retired with two of them having been withdrawn this month.

Concerning its fleet of eleven A340s used primarily on flights to Europe, South East Asia, and Russia, Cathay Pacific said a decision had been taken in the first half of this year to accelerate the type's retirement.

"Four of these aircraft will be retired by the end of 2015 and the remaining seven will be retired by the end of 2017," it said.

Cathay Pacific's A340 and B777-200 fleet will be replaced by the carrier's order for twenty-five A350-900s due to begin arriving from February 2016.

Overall, management says it has 90 aircraft on order for delivery by 2024 including three B747-8(F)s, twenty-one B777-9Xs, twenty-six A350-1000s, twenty-two A350-900s, eleven B777-300(ER)s, and eleven A330-300s.