'Alarming' number of pilots quit Hong Kong Airlines
Resignation of about 35 pilots in six months is 'normal' turnover, says company which has faced complaints over safety standards
Hong Kong Airlines has been hit by an "alarming" tide of resignations with about 35 pilots quitting in the past six months, sources say.
Neither the budget airline nor the Civil Aviation Department - which said it had been kept informed about the resignations - would give details.
While the airline said the turnover was "normal", sources told the South China Morning Post that as many as 35 pilots had resigned since December.
David Newbery, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Airline Pilots Association, a body that represents three pilot groups in Hong Kong, said the resignation rate was "pretty alarming".
"[The rate] is certainly not normal and is unsustainable - particularly for an airline which wishes to grow," he said.
"Pilots are a long-lead-time item - they require training, which is time-consuming and expensive. You cannot replace a pilot as easily as you can replace a clerk or even a manager."
The resignations leave the airline with about 250 pilots to fly its 22 aircraft, sources said. Cathay Pacific has more than 2,900 pilots to fly about 140 aircraft.