Cathay Pacific (CX, Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok) has announced it will begin scheduled longhaul A350-1000 operations during the third quarter of 2018.

The Swire Group carrier said in a statement it would deploy the first of the type into ultra-longhaul service on September 15, 2018, on a 4x weekly nonstop flight between Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok and Washington Dulles. At 7,085 nautical miles (8,153 miles, 13,122 kilometres), the service to the US capital will be the longest on the Cathay Pacific network in terms of distance. 

As with the arrival of its A350-900 in May 2016, Cathay Pacific is expected to deploy the -1000 into shorthaul regional Asian services initially before placing it into intercontinental rotation.

Cathay Pacific has twenty aircraft of the type on order from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac). Earlier this year, it downgauged six previous orders to A350-900s while deferring delivery of five, due in 2020, to 2021. Current records show Cathay Pacific expects to add a total of eight A350-1000s in 2018.