Cathay cuts fuel bill by R1.4m

JOY ORLEK CATHAY PACIFIC has trimmed more than HK$1.5 million (R1.41m) off its annual fuel bill thanks to an innovative idea generated by its own staff. Its ‘silver bullet’ freighter, stripped bare of most of its paint, went into service earlier this year. The polished silver fuselage makes the Boeing 747 approximately 200kg lighter, resulting in the significant savings. Virtually the entire aircraft body has been stripped bare, with the exception of the tail and a strip along the aircraft’s nose to maintain the airline’s identity. The remaining 13 freighter aircraft in the fleet will undergo the same transformation during their scheduled maintenance overhaul over the next few years. The full livery on passenger aircraft will remain unchanged.