Cathay Pacific discrimination scandal: carrier to step up efforts to rescue reputation, vows to reflect on ‘long-held’ negative impression of airline
- In internal memo, CEO Ronald Lam calls for soul-searching within company, argues behaviour of fired flight attendants had compromised hard work of other colleagues
- Controversy centres on social media post by passenger who recorded cabin crew mocking non-English-speaking customer
In an internal memo sent to all staff on Thursday, Cathay Pacific CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por said the incident pointed to “something much deeper which we need to address”, and that the airline “must reflect humbly, examine our culture deeply and take concrete measures” to turn its image around.
Lam’s latest message, on the heels of multiple public apologies issued by the carrier over the incident, came after Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu on Wednesday expressed outrage at the “bad deeds” of three flight attendants who have been fired.
The fallout occurred after a passenger on a Cathay flight recorded and posted on mainland Chinese social media the cabin crew members mocking the English-language proficiency of a customer.
Cathay’s social media has been flooded with comments, mostly from angry mainland users, disparaging its service standards.
