Ex-Cathay Pacific pilot David Tonn cleared on sexual assault charges

All criminal charges against a former Cathay Pacific pilot accused of sexually assaulting a woman colleague in a New York hotel on New Year's Eve have been dropped. But the airline will not say if he will be reinstated.

David Tonn, 35, was charged with a criminal sexual act in the third degree, two counts of forcible touching, third-degree rape and third-degree sexual abuse.

However, after a pre-trial hearing in New York on Thursday, all charges against Tonn were dropped. His lawyer Andrew Stoll was satisfied justice had been done.

"The district attorney's office announced in court a grand jury has dismissed the indictment against Mr Tonn, and the district attorney's office dismissed the remaining misdemeanour charge against him," Stoll said. "The pre-trial dismissals are a full vindication for Mr Tonn, and clear proof that his accuser was simply not credible."

A spokeswoman for Cathay Pacific confirmed Tonn was a former pilot with the airline but refused to comment on whether his contract, which was cancelled in light of the charges, would be reinstated.

The district attorney's office described the alleged victim as a 44-year-old woman cabin crew member who lived in Hong Kong. She said she was attacked in a Brooklyn hotel room at 3am on December 31, prosecutors said. Tonn was arrested soon after 7am.

A spokesman from the Brooklyn district attorney's office said there were no plans at this stage to launch a civil case against Tonn.

In a separate case, Hong Kong police in June dropped an investigation into a pilot's alleged rape of a flight attendant while the crew of an international airline were staying at a five-star hotel in the city. The Department of Justice found there was insufficient evidence to proceed.