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Too few pilots, chaotic rosters. Why Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific is cancelling flights and its vow that worst is over may be too optimistic
- Hong Kong flag carrier has cancelled more than 160 flights in less than 20 days, citing high rates of pilot illness and lack of manpower
- While Cathay has pledged worst is over, pilots and analysts say carrier needs to tackle poor roster management and rebuild trust by boosting pay packages
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When Peggy Li’s uncle died on New Year’s Eve, the Dubai-based hospitality industry worker immediately booked a ticket to fly home to Hong Kong for the funeral.
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She decided to fly with Cathay Pacific Airways, which she used regularly over the past three decades, as the schedule suited her needs and she preferred the extra legroom available in premium economy class.
But Li would now think twice before flying with Cathay again, she said. Seventy-two hours after she bought her ticket, the airline sent her a text message saying her flight to Hong Kong had been cancelled, just one of many the company axed this week.
Another text the next day announced her flight back to Dubai had also been scrapped. After she spent hours on the phone with Cathay in a bid to find an alternative that worked for her, Li gave up, obtained a refund and booked a ticket with Emirates instead.
“When everyone thinks of Cathay Pacific, they associate it with Hong Kong and … this ridiculous move has only put themselves into deeper water,” she said. “They have tarnished their reputation, and on top of that, they tarnish Hong Kong as a destination.”
The city’s flag carrier was once again thrust into the spotlight this week when it announced it would cut an average of 12 flights a day until the end of February in a bid to avoid cancellations during the Lunar New Year holiday – one of the busiest travel periods of the year in China.
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