POINTS IN TIME
How Boeing’s game-changing jet opened up Asia. By PHIL HEARD劃時代的波音噴射機如何來到亞洲。撰文： Phil Heard
How three magic numbers – 707 – made Cathay a bigger, better airline
BY THE LATE 1960s, Cathay Pacific was falling behind in the jet-age race.
Although Cathay Pacific was one of the most successful carriers in the region with eight nimble, jet-powered Convair 880s, future expansion depended on new aircraft. A few years previously, the airline had cancelled the Hong Kong to Sydney route thanks to competition from Qantas. The Australian carrier was flying non-stop using its new Boeing 707, which had outstripped Cathay’s propeller- driven Lockheed Electras for journey time, speed and capacity.
Cathay turned to Boeing. In the US, marketing and intense competition meant that airlines were engaged in a constant race to have the latest fleet. As well as feeding the market with new aircraft, Boeing also ran a very successful secondhand division; and through this, Cathay bought four of Northwest Orient’s older 707-320Bs. The airline would later go on to buy 12 of its 707s, mainly the intercontinental 320C models.
At the same time, Boeing had introduced a new 707 cabin with a ‘widebody’ look for those airlines unable to afford the expensive 747. Cathay Pacific’s secondhand 707 fleet featured sculpted cabin walls, new baggage bins, lights and seating. These would be fitted on delivery in Hong Kong, along with the 320C’s strengthened undercarriage that would allow for greater landing weights, suiting the airline’s short-haul and multi-stop routes.
So it was that VR-HGH, the airline’s first 707, left the Northwest Orient fleet in June 1971 and touched down at Kai Tak to join Cathay Pacific. There was a spacious interior in the now- distinctive blend of blues and greens and a vivid new livery, featuring a brighter ‘Brunswick’ green.
VR-HGH entered service on 24 August 1971 with a champagne-fuelled service to Tokyo via Taipei and Osaka. Three years later, with an expanded 707 fleet, Cathay Pacific used the aircraft to once more compete on the Hong Kong to Sydney route.
國泰航空於1960年代末的噴射時代競賽中敬陪末座。
雖然當時國泰是區內最成功的航空公司之一，擁有八架速度快而靈活的Convair 880噴射客機，但未來若要進一步拓展業務，就要視乎新飛機的性能。就在幾年前，由於不敵來自澳洲航空的競爭，國泰取消了往返香港和悉尼的航線。當時澳洲航空採用全新的波音707客機，不停站飛往悉尼；而國泰使用的是螺旋槳推動的Lockheed Electra客機，無論飛行時間、速度與載客量，都不及澳洲航空。
於是國泰改為採用波音客機。在美國，由於市場競爭十分激烈，大大小小的航空公司不斷互相競賽，務求擁有最先進的機隊。波音公司除了為市場提供全新的飛機之外，另設有一個生意非常興隆的二手飛機部門；國泰於是透過這個部門，購入了四架西北東方航空公司的舊型707-320B客機。後來又陸續購買了12架707客機，主要是洲際320C型號。
與此同時，波音為負擔不起昂貴的747客機的航空公司，引進看上去有如「廣體」客機的707客艙。國泰購入的707二手客機配備弧形的客艙壁，以及全新的行李櫃、照明燈及座位。這些設備於運抵時在香港完成裝配，同時還配了320C經過加強的起落架，令飛機有更大的著陸重量，適合國泰的短程及途經多站的航線。
於是當年國泰的首架707客機（註冊編號VR- HGH）於1971年6月脫離西北東方航空公司機隊，降落在啟德機場，從此加入國泰航空。飛機內部空間更為寬敞，以現在覺得十分特別的藍、綠二色為主調，機身則換上鮮明的新標誌，用的是一種較明亮的「Brunswick」深綠色。
VR- HGH於1971年8月24日投入服務，首航由香港經台北及大阪前往東京。三年後，707機隊經過擴充後，國泰利用這款飛機，再次競逐香港前往悉尼的航線。