Letters | Cathay Pacific, protected and pampered for years, has let Hong Kong down
- Despite receiving lifelines from the Hong Kong government, the airline’s management chose to ruthlessly sack staff. The contrast between the reaction of laid-off Cathay staff and former employees of a US factory in Shenzhen is telling
Cathay Pacific’s ascent was in part due to the protection of the British government during the colonial period. It had leverage over other Hong Kong and Chinese aviation companies, and thus monopolised the industry for a few decades. Even after the handover, it continued to enjoy a protective umbrella in Hong Kong.
Cathay’s hackneyed corporate culture and its unwillingness to change are responsible for its dismal failures today. The airline, which Hongkongers were once so proud of, is now in excruciating pain, but can it return to its glory days? First and foremost, it should start thinking in terms of the benefits to Hongkongers and doing away with its archaic managerial mindset.
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Cathay Pacific Airways announces its largest job cuts in history