Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways picked The Boeing Co.'s 777-300ER over Airbus' A340 on Thursday to add wide-bodied capacity to its long-haul fleet.

The order was a key win for Boeing in the highly competitive Asian marketplace.

Cathay ordered 12 777s plus four 777s from International Lease Finance Corp., worth $4.6 billion at list prices. The airline also secured purchase rights for 20 more of the twin-engine, wide-bodied aircraft.

The order was significant for Boeing because Cathay had been depending on Airbus to provide its longest-range aircraft in recent years. Although Cathay didn't give a reason for its choice, analysts said Boeing's fuel efficiency might have changed the equation.

Recently, 60 787 Dreamliners have also been sold to China.

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