Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific to cancel some mainland China flights in wake of delays chaos
Airlines in Hong Kong grappling with the "considerable" knock-on effect of mainland flight delays are turning to an extreme measure - cancelling some flights. The news come as China's aviation regulator is stepping up efforts to address the mainland's notorious flight delays - by punishing the airports and censuring airlines.
Cathay Pacific reported in a company newsletter released last month that mainland airspace restrictions had caused 230 flight delays in May and June. Chief executive Ivan Chu Kwok-leung pointed to a cut in flights between Hong Kong and Shanghai, describing the move as "reassessing our schedules". He acknowledged that delays had been "more severe of late". The airline warned that the knock-on effect "across the [airline] has been considerable".
Sources familiar with Cathay's plan said it meant cuts to the current 34 daily flights it operates between the two financial centres, although passenger capacity should not decline much as the airline would operate bigger aircraft.
READ MORE: China ramps up efforts to cut flight delays as it punishes Shenzhen airport
"Such a situation is not sustainable in the long term, especially for our colleagues who deal with this on a day-to-day basis, so we are now in the process of reassessing our schedules to Shanghai, particularly for Dragonair, which will take some of the strain off the operation," said Chu.
Flights to and from Beijing and Shanghai are subject to the heaviest delays at Hong Kong International Airport. Scheduled flights can wait as long as eight hours before finally taking off.
READ MORE: China’s airports and airlines lead the world in flight delays: US survey
In preparation for Beijing's big military parade on September 3, airlines are bracing for even more disruption.
Despite jet fuel being a major cost for airlines, pilots at Cathay have told thePost they have loaded more fuel as unpredictable delays force planes to spend more time in the air.
A six-hour delay on a Hong Kong Airlines flight to Beijing last month prompted police to charge six mainland tourists in connection with a brawl over the long wait.
