New Cathay Pacific Aria Suite 777 Business Class

In March 2024, Cathay Pacific formally unveiled the details of its new business class product, which is an exciting development for the carrier. While the entry into service for this product was delayed, there’s an exciting update, as the product is welcoming its first customers. The airline just had a launch event for the new cabin, so we’ve learned some more details about what we can expect.

New Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 business class details

Hong Kong-based oneworld member Cathay Pacific is introducing a new business class on its Boeing 777-300ERs, and the product is known as Aria Suite. Below you can see a 90-second teaser video about the updated cabins.

Here’s what we do know about Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suite business class:

• These are reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration
• The seats have privacy doors, which is increasingly becoming the standard in business class
• The seats have great tech, including 24″ 4K entertainment screens that’s in a fixed position, bluetooth audio, wireless charging, and some unique features, like a monitor showing which lavatories are occupied
• The seats have enclosed storage compartments

Cathay Pacific created this product in partnership with JPA Design, which has been a partner of the airline for a long time. While the seat was developed by Collins Aerospace, the airline has stopped short of revealing which platform it’s based on, instead emphasizing that it’s heavily customized. And indeed, it does look like a unique product.

Presumably it uses some elements of either the Super Diamond seat (like British Airways’ Club Suites product), or the Element seat (which debuted on Starlux’s Airbus A350-900s, though it’s also being installed on newly delivered Etihad Boeing 787-9s).

Cathay Pacific is first reconfiguring its three class Boeing 777-300ERs, and below you can see the updated seat map for the jets featuring the Aria Suite product. The airline is greatly boosting premium capacity as these planes are being reconfigured:

• Currently the three cabin 777-300ERs have 368 seats, including 40 business class seats, 32 premium economy seats, and 296 economy seats
• Once reconfigured, the three cabin 777-300ERs will have 361 seats, including 45 business class seats, 48 premium economy seats, and 268 economy seats

Losing 28 economy seats in order to gain five business class seats and 16 premium economy seats is quite a deal! 😉

Cathay Pacific Aria Suite route plans

Cathay Pacific is initially flying its 777-300ERs with Aria Suites on intra-Asia routes, for crew familiarization, and until the fleet is bulked up a bit. The airline has scheduled the reconfigured jet to fly from Hong Kong (HKG) to Beijing (PEK) between October 18 and October 31, 2024. Specifically, the jet will operate the following frequencies:

CX332 Hong Kong to Beijing departing 12:00PM arriving 3:30PM
CX331 Beijing to Hong Kong departing 4:50PM arriving 8:35PM

The expectation is that the aircraft will soon fly more short haul routes within Asia, including select flights to Shanghai (PVG), Singapore (SIN), Taipei (TPE), and Tokyo (HND).

Then as of January 2025, the plan is to start offering the Aria Suite product on long haul flights, once Cathay Pacific has at least three 777s with the interior. Cathay Pacific plans to first offer the Aria Suite product to Europe, with London (LHR) expected to be the first destination. I would speculate that the first frequency would be the one daily flight that’s currently operated by a three cabin 777-300ER.

For what it’s worth, B-KPO is the first 777 to get the new cabins, as the 14-year-old jet spent several months in Xiamen (XMN).

Will other Cathay Pacific aircraft get these new seats?

Keep in mind that Cathay Pacific was initially intending to introduce all-new premium cabins on its Boeing 777-9s, of which the airline has 21 on order. However, that aircraft has been delayed by at least six years due to certification issues, from 2020 to 2026 (or later).

Presumably Cathay Pacific decided it was time to refresh its cabins even before those planes enter service. I would assume that Cathay Pacific intends to introduce the same product on 777-9s, since I can’t imagine the airline would introduce two separate long haul business class products just a couple of years apart.

So far there’s no indication of Cathay Pacific refreshing its Airbus A350s with the same product, though I imagine that could come at some point as well. Cathay Pacific hopes to finish reconfiguring its existing 777s by the end of 2027.

What about Cathay Pacific first class?

Some of Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 777-300ERs feature a first class cabin. This consists of six seats, spread across two rows in a 1-1-1 configuration. While this isn’t the world’s most private first class, it is one of my favorites.

With Cathay Pacific introducing a new business class product on 777s, what about first class? Well, Cathay Pacific is developing a new first class seat, which is rumored to be named Halo Suite. However, this will only be introduced on Boeing 777-9s in 2026 and beyond, so there are no plans for this to make its debut on existing 777s.

As a matter of fact, Cathay Pacific intends to remove first class from its 777s, as the jets are reconfigured with the new cabins. So eventually no 777-300ERs will feature first class, while all 777-9s will feature first class.

I imagine that Cathay Pacific will first try to reconfigure its three cabin 777s, before reconfiguring the ones with four cabins. Now, it remains to be seen how this timeline works out, especially with continued delays on the 777-9.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see this strategy shift, especially with continued delivery delays on the 777-9.

Bottom line

Cathay Pacific is introducing a new business class product on its Boeing 777-300ERs, known as Aria Suite. You can expect new reverse herringbone seats with privacy doors and great tech, in what looks to be a very nice improvement over the existing seat. I’d assume that this is the same product that will eventually be installed on Boeing 777-9s.

We’re finally seeing this introduced. Over the coming months, the Aria Suite product will be available on select routes within Asia. Then as of January 2025, it should make its long haul debut, with Europe (and probably London) expected to be the first destination.

I’m impressed by this premium product investment, given what a tough few years Cathay Pacific has had! Obviously the airline is committed to offering a quality product, and that’s always exciting to see.

What do you make of Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suite business class?