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Cathay Pacific 747 seat maps

Cathay Pacific flew the 747 for almost four decades, from a 363-seat three-class -200 in the 1980s to a 359-seat -400 retired on 1 October 2016.

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Cathay Pacific’s relationship with the 747 ran from the late 1970s to 2016, when it became the last major airline to retire the passenger type. Over that time it operated around 50 747s, including a substantial freighter fleet, and turned Hong Kong into one of the busiest 747 hubs in the world.

The classic cabins

Cathay’s 1980s 747-200 carried 363 seats in three classes — 35 First, 92 Marco Polo business and 236 economy — with First in the nose and the upper deck reserved for premium use. The 747-300, of which Cathay flew six, brought the stretched upper deck and a two-class cabin of 415 seats, business class upstairs rather than a lounge.

The 747-400

The 747-400 became the backbone of Cathay’s long-haul fleet. Capacity came down over the years as premium cabins grew: from around 387 seats in the 1990s to a final 359-seat layout of 9 First, 46 business, 26 premium economy and 278 economy. The last passenger service, CX543 from Tokyo Haneda, landed in Hong Kong on 1 October 2016, and the airline’s remaining -400s were retired soon after. Cathay continues to fly the 747 as a freighter.

Cabin archive

Visual seat maps

Cabin zones run from the nose on the left to the tail on the right. Seat symbols show the typical abreast pattern, not every individual row.

Historical reconstruction1980s

Cathay Pacific 747-200 layout

Cathay's 1980s three-class long-haul cabin: 35 First, 92 Marco Polo business and 236 economy seats.

363passenger seats
Upper deckFirst Class cabin or lounge
First Class
Main deckNose at left
First Class35 seats · 2-2 typical
Marco Polo Business92 seats · 2-3-2 typical
Economy236 seats · 3-4-3 typical

Map note: First Class sat in the nose two abreast, business class in a 2-3-2 arrangement, and economy in a 3-4-3. Cathay's premium cabin carried the Marco Polo brand.

Configuration source: Frequently Flying — vintage Cathay Pacific 747-200 seat map

Archived configuration1985–2005

Cathay Pacific 747-300 layout

Cathay's two-class 747-300, with the extended upper deck sold as business class and 415 seats in all.

415passenger seats
Upper deckBusiness class
Business Class
Main deckNose at left
Business Class
Economy3-4-3 typical

Map note: Cathay operated six of the -300. It was the first Cathay 747 with the stretched upper deck as a standard feature, seating business class upstairs rather than keeping a lounge.

Configuration source: Cathay Pacific fleet page, 1997 (archived)

Archived configuration2012–2016

Cathay Pacific 747-400 final layout

The cabin Cathay retired the 747 with: 9 First, 46 business, 26 premium economy and 278 economy seats.

359passenger seats
Upper deckBusiness class
Business Class2-2 typical
Main deckNose at left
First Class9 seats · 1-2-1 typical
Business Class46 seats
Premium Economy26 seats
Economy278 seats · 3-4-3 typical

Map note: Cathay's final -400 layout dropped total capacity to 359 while adding a small premium economy cabin. The last passenger flight was CX543 from Tokyo Haneda to Hong Kong on 1 October 2016.

Configuration source: Sam Chui — Cathay Pacific retires the 747-400

Sources

Facts on this page are checked against the primary and institutional references below.

  1. Vintage Cathay Pacific 747-200 seat map (1980s) — Frequently Flying
  2. Cathay Pacific fleet page, 1997 — Cathay Pacific (via Internet Archive)
  3. Cathay Pacific retires the Boeing 747-400 — Sam Chui
  4. Cathay Pacific operates the last Boeing 747 passenger flight — World Airline News

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