Editorial | Reputation of Cathay and Hong Kong at risk after holiday flights fiasco
- Cancellation of dozens of flights by city’s flag carrier calls for thorough investigation and measures to ensure there is no repeat
Holiday travel surges are understandably a daunting challenge for airlines. Passengers who book flights, however, have every reason to expect carriers to use their experience and skills to handle busier periods in the annual calendar. So it was disappointing to see Hong Kong’s flag carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, cancel dozens of flights over the holidays.
On New Year’s Day the airline confirmed it would scrap 28 flights, and these followed its decision to call off at least 40 others since Christmas Eve.
Cathay Pacific blamed a “higher than expected pilot absence caused by seasonal illness” and insisted airline operations remained “normal overall” with a marked increase in the number of flights operated over the holiday peak season.
The company apologised to passengers for its decision to “proactively cancel” what it said was less than 1 per cent of all passenger flights since mid-December “to ensure the successful delivery of our overall services”.
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But a union representing Cathay pilots said the schedule changes stemmed more from staff shortages caused by pandemic-related lay-offs. The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association said passenger operations had only 52 per cent of the number of captains and first officers as before the Covid-19 pandemic.