Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific to offer pilots 3.8% rise in basic salary but union says crews will need to fly more hours to get increase

According to internal Cathay memo, an entry-level second officer will be offered HK$34,158 a month from January, while top-level captains will get up to HK$114,924

Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association says pilots will need to fly more to achieve the rise offered because they are paid by the hour

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Cathay Pacific and its budget carrier HK Express aim to reach 70 per cent of pre-pandemic flight capacity by the end of the year. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 11:00am, 22 Nov 2023Updated: 3:42pm, 22 Nov 2023

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways will offer its pilots a 3.8 per cent rise in their basic salary next year, the Post has learned, but a union has complained that some will have to fly more hours to qualify for the increase.

According to an internal Cathay Pacific memo seen by the Post, an entry-level second officer will be offered HK$34,158 (US$4,382) a month in basic salary starting in January, while top-level captains will get up to HK$114,924.

But the Cathay pilots’ union argued flight crews needed to fly more to achieve the rise offered because they were paid by the hour.

Hourly flight pay for the basic salary differs for Airbus and Boeing pilots. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

“It announced a pay rise of 3.8 per cent next year, but before that, it increased the number of hours that the pilots fly,” said Paul Weatherilt, chairman of the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association.

“It’s simply making the pilots work more for the same money.”

A Cathay spokesman confirmed a pay rise was given to “all our people” without providing a figure, and that it would continue to review salaries and benefits to ensure it remained a competitive employer.

“In addition to this salary increase for our pilots, we have recently made improvements to allowances related to reserve and simulator duties,” the spokesman said.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific to offer pilots 3.8% rise in basic salary but union says crews will need to fly more hours to get increase

According to internal Cathay memo, an entry-level second officer will be offered HK$34,158 a month from January, while top-level captains will get up to HK$114,924 Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association says pilots will need to fly more to achieve the rise offered because they are paid by the hour

According to internal Cathay memo, an entry-level second officer will be offered HK$34,158 a month from January, while top-level captains will get up to HK$114,924

Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association says pilots will need to fly more to achieve the rise offered because they are paid by the hour