Cathay mulls alliance with Canada's westjet
Cathay Pacific Airways may form a strategic alliance with Calgary-based WestJet Airlines to expand its network in Canada. A spokeswoman for the No1 carrier in Hong Kong said it was in preliminary talks with WestJet. 'We are looking at a lot of opportunities to expand our Canadian coverage,' she said. Philippe Lacamp, Cathay's new head of Canadian operations, was quoted by The Globe and Mail as saying the two carriers could be partners in the Canadian market in a year if the discussions went smoothly. It is believed the partnership with WestJet would open up smaller Canadian cities such as Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax to Cathay's transpacific services.
Hong kong cable TV gets nod for satellite service
Hong Kong Cable Television yesterday won Executive Council approval to offer pay-television services via satellite broadcasting, giving it universal coverage of the territory. At a monthly tariff of $308, the satellite service will provide 20 channels, including 24-hour local news, films, sports and documentaries.
SFC reprimands hantec over errant staff
The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has reprimanded stock and foreign exchange brokerage firm Hantec International for failing to adequately supervise and control its staff, who breached SFC regulations on several occasions between 2000 and 2002. The SFC said Hantec failed to prevent its staff from cold calling and failed to keep proper trading documents to provide an adequate audit trail.