Cathay Pacific Airways has finalised an order with Airbus for 32 A321neo single-aisle aircraft.

The aircraft will be operated by Cathay Dragon, the regional carrier of the group, on services linking its Hong Kong home base with destinations across Asia.

The purchase agreement firms up a memorandum of understanding announced last month.

The new A321neo aircraft will replace and modernise Cathay Dragon’s current in-service fleet of 15 A320s and eight A321s, with the additional aircraft allowing the airline to capture growth opportunities in the region.

The Cathay Dragon network currently covers 56 Asian destinations, including 28 in mainland China.

Cathay Dragon is an all-Airbus operator, with a current fleet of 23 A320 Family aircraft and 24 wide-body A330-300s.

In addition, Cathay Pacific operates 37 A330-300s, making the Group the largest A330 operator in the Asia-Pacific region.

Cathay Pacific also operates the all-new long haul A350 XWB, with 18 A350-900s already in service.

The carrier has another 30 A350 XWBs on order for future delivery, including the A350-900 and larger A350-1000.

The A321 is the largest member of the A320 Family and seats up to 240 passengers, depending on cabin configuration.

Incorporating the latest engines, aerodynamic advances and cabin innovations, the A321neo offers a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 20 per cent per seat.