Cathay Pacific passengers to be squeezed into smaller seats but screens are bigger

Passengers on some Cathay Pacific flights will face narrower economy class seats from as early as this month as the carrier squeezes in more people to boost profits. The move is expected to add HK$700m to Cathay’s bottom line annually when its refit is completed, helping the airline recover from two years of back-to-back losses. The redesigned seats on Boeing 777 aircraft will feature bigger TV screens and in-flight Wi-fi will be installed on the planes. The carrier will add an extra row of seats to its 777s to create a 10-abreast cabin. Around six planes will have the extra seats before the end of the summer while refitting of its fleet of 65 Boeing 777s will be completed by the end of next year. “This new configuration enables us to increase capacity offered to our passengers at this critical time when Hong Kong International Airport remains slot constrained,” an internal Cathay document said. “The new seats feature the latest ergonomic designs and brings us up to the standard of premium carriers in the industry.” New seats will include 11.6-inch entertainment screens and more movie and TV content, storage for smartphones and tablets plus plug sockets, with USB charging also provided.<br/>