Industrial action by Cathay Pacific pilots began to hit flights yesterday, with thousands of passengers delayed by up to five hours.
By 8pm, 22 flights in and out of Hong Kong had been delayed by 15 minutes or more, Cathay said, adding that it was not clear what was to blame in each case but that the pilots' action was 'certainly a factor'.
One of the worst disruptions since the work-to-rule began on Tuesday was to flight CX883, which is supposed to travel non-stop from Los Angeles. It arrived a little before 2am yesterday, five hours late, after stopping in Vancouver and Osaka.
Cathay director of corporate communications Tony Tyler called on pilots to abandon the action and warned crew could face disciplinary action if they did not follow established practice.
He said the Flight Officers' Association's instructions to members suggested changes to procedures that were 'not in line with established custom and practice', which he said could cause confusion in the cockpit and undermine 'operational integrity'.
Mr Tyler would not be drawn on whether this meant there could be a threat to flight safety.
