Air Hong Kong retires last Airbus A300 freighter after two decades

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Air Hong Kong retires last Airbus A300 freighter after two decades

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Clarence Tai, Chief Operating Officer of Air Hong Kong | Air Hong Kong Website

By Sky Industry News

Jul 1, 2025

Air Hong Kong has retired its last Airbus A300-600 freighter, marking the end of an era for the airline. The aircraft, which served on behalf of DHL Express, concludes a seven-year re-fleeting program aimed at replacing older models with more fuel-efficient ones.

The transition to an all-Airbus A330 cargo fleet is now complete for Air Hong Kong, a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific. Currently, the airline operates 14 A330Fs. Over two decades, Air Hong Kong's A300F fleet has been credited with "safe and reliable" operations, moving nearly three million tons of cargo through Hong Kong International Airport.

The final Airbus A300-600F was ordered in 2003 and delivered in 2004. It accumulated 29,431 flight hours while operating for DHL Express. Clarence Tai, Chief Operating Officer of Air Hong Kong, remarked on the transition: “The A300-600F has been a stalwart of Air Hong Kong’s fleet and an important part of our story for over two decades. Its contribution to not only our business but to the Hong Kong international aviation hub as a whole has been considerable and we fondly bid farewell to this valued member of our fleet as we enter this exciting new chapter.”

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In 2018, Air Hong Kong initiated its re-fleeting program by replacing older generation A300Fs with newer Airbus A330 freighters. This transition includes ten Airbus A330-300P2F aircraft and four Airbus A330-200Fs. The newer models offer a 25% increase in payload and cargo volume compared to their predecessors.

Air Hong Kong currently operates scheduled and charter services across 17 destinations in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia. The expanded capabilities of the newer aircraft have enabled the opening of new routes to destinations like Bahrain and Sydney.

Hong Kong International Airport remains one of the world's busiest cargo hubs. In 2024, it handled 4.9 million tons of cargo, retaining its position as the leading cargo airport globally for the 14th time since 2010. Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations at Hong Kong International Airport, noted that "We are the busiest cargo hub," emphasizing Hong Kong's strategic location within Asia.