Cathay Pacific considers drier storage options for unused planes

Cathay Pacific said Monday it was evaluating whether to send some of its aircraft to less humid locations for storage as it reviews the size of its fleet in light of the fall in demand due to the pandemic. Cathay is examining plans to store more than 50 widebody aircraft from its fleet of around 236 planes outside Hong Kong in less humid locations like Dubai and the Australian desert, a source familiar with the matter said. Cathay declined to comment on the number being considered for storage but said they were from a number of different fleets within the group, which operates the Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon and Hong Kong Express brands. "We are exploring alternative locations beyond Hong Kong's humid summer climate that can provide appropriate conditions for our aircraft while they are not flying," Cathay said. "This is a prudent decision from an asset management perspective."<br/>