Cathay Pacific is getting ready to introduce its newest business class suite, the Aria Suite, on Friday, October 18th. While the airline first announced its plans for the Aria Suite in March 2024, earlier today, the carrier officially unveiled the physical seat at an event in Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suite

For the past decade, Cathay Pacific has been flying a relatively standard business class on all of its aircraft. The seat has seen few updates over the years, with minor changes being made as the seat was installed on new aircraft types, like the Airbus A350. 

The Aria Suite promises to take Cathay Pacific’s already exceptional business class experience to the next level. The updated suite retains the standard 1 - 2 -1 configuration, with one seat next to the window on both sides of the aircraft and two seats next to each other in the center. 

In addition, the seats will be laid out in a reverse-herringbone style, providing each passenger with direct aisle access. Window seats will be angled away from the aisle and towards the windows while those in the middle will face each other, making them ideal for passengers traveling with a friend or family member. 

The seat will also be the most private seat that Cathay Pacific has ever offered. Each seat is encased in a shell with adjustable privacy dividers between center seats. Like most international business classes, the Aria Suite will transform into a fully lie-flat bed at the press of a button. 

However, by far the largest privacy improvement is the closing door that transforms the seat into a suite. While the door will not stretch from the floor to the ceiling, the airline has said they “paid attention to create a personal in-suite space that in stills an air of relaxation from the moment customers step inside.” 

While some airlines have marketed and priced the bulkhead seats as an option between first class and business class, Cathay Pacific has chosen to keep all of their seats uniform throughout the business class cabin. 

The seat also features a slew of technological improvements and expanded storage space for passenger’s convenience. Each suite will feature a personal 24-inch 4K widescreen TV, the largest in the airline’s fleet, with Bluetooth connectivity, wireless charging, and free WiFI. 

In the way of storage, there is one larger cubby with space for over-ear headphones and a water bottle located on the side of the seat. There is also a shallow compartment for a phone or charging cords below where the tray table is stored. 

Cathay Pacific decided to up their finishes for the new seat, opting for “soft-touch suede walls, natural wool seat fabric, and gold-accented touchpoints.” The seat also has wide woodgrain finishes and marble surfaces to create a sense of luxury. 

Soft product features, like amenity kits, bedding, and food options, will remain the same as current Cathay Pacific offerings. 
 

Where Cathay Pacific Will Fly Aria

According to the airline, Aria Suites will be installed across its fleet of 30 Boeing 777-300ERs by 

the end of 2027. The updated aircraft will accommodate 361 passengers, split between 45 business class suites, 48 premium economy seats, and 268 economy class seats. 

Notably, Cathay Pacific has decided to remove the first class cabin from their 777 aircraft, instead betting on increased demand for business class. 

The first retrofitted 777 is scheduled to take off on October 18th. Between October 18th and the 31st, Cathay Pacific will operate Aria Suites between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). 

The newly configured aircraft will fly on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Outbound flights will depart HKG at 12:00 p.m., arrive in Beijing at 3:30 p.m., and return to Hong Kong at 4:50 p.m., landing at 8:35 p.m. local time. 

Where the airline decides to fly the new business class after October is still unknown, but an international deployment of the aircraft to the U.S. is still unlikely given the airline only has one retrofitted plane.