Editorial | Cathay and city need to clear latest storm

The fortunes of Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong’s aviation flagship, are a reflection of the city’s recovery from the pandemic. As Cathay goes, so does Hong Kong, one might say. That is true so long as business and tourism remain pillars of the economy. Evidence of that is a government-led HK$30 billion-plus bailout of Cathay soon after the pandemic destroyed its passenger business in 2020. Cathay is that important to the city. The last thing the airline, its staff from head office to flight deck, its customers and the city need now is internal discord distracting it from the task of rebuilding financial health. But it has emerged in a “slow taxiing” issue that has exposed a rift between the airline and its pilots when it most needs unity. Pilots’ union leaders say slow movement of aircraft on the ground reflects frustration with Covid-related pay cuts. It has been linked to airport congestion, prompting Cathay chiefs to warn the aircrew association.

In 2020, Cathay rebased the calculation of pilots’ monthly salaries, in the past generally higher than other airlines, to reflect actual flight duration, including time spent taxiing, as opposed to distances flown in previous contracts. At the time, the revision of terms represented a shared sacrifice to avoid more job cuts, but pilots say it has now led to some earning up to 40 per cent less, and bigger fluctuations in take-home pay. They say the effect on historically higher – and generous – packages could even prompt the downsizing of family homes and reduced outlays on children’s private education.

Pilots are not the only ones feeling the pain of Covid-related belt-tightening while the airline rebuilds its operations, as passengers can attest. The reality is that the airline, its staff and customers need each other to fully restore the carrier’s fortunes, rebuild seriously depleted aircrew numbers, and get salaries up and fares down. Expressions of pilot frustration may be understandable, but when they affect operations they are not putting passengers first. This only damages the reputation of both pilots and Hong Kong aviation. The former earnings structure represented what Cathay paid at the time to compete for talent. Times have changed. But common interests have not. Hopefully as Cathay rebuilds its business, the airline and its pilots can put relations back on an even keel ahead of better times.