Hong Kong airlines Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon cut back on deep-cleaning schedules
Frequent Cathay Pacific traveller bemoans cleanliness standards, saying he now regularly wipes down his seat area
Travellers may notice on their next flight with Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon that their plane may seem a little less clean than usual.
Deep cleaning of aircraft cabins has been trimmed from once every 14 days to once in three to four weeks, the Post has learned from airline staff, in spite of Cathay Pacific winning a coveted “cleanest airline cabins” in the world accolade at an annual industry gala last summer.
Watch: A cleaning test on a Cathay Pacific flight
From one flight to the next, aircraft cabin seats, surfaces, the galley and toilets are always cleaned, but a deep clean tackles areas not visible to passengers.
The carrier denied the move was a cost-cutting measure, and said the changes would be monitored.
Rupert Hogg, Cathay Pacific’s chief operating officer and a director of Cathay Dragon, said he could see how “some people might think it is a cost-cutting measure but of course we have no intention of flying dirty aircraft”.