Cathay Pacific CEO Rupert Hogg says airline willing to extend talks with pilots over cuts – but won’t confirm if it can wait until 2019

‘If we get to a certain point that we need some more time, we’ll take some more time,’ Hogg said, on sidelines of annual gathering of International Air Transport Association

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Cathay Pacific chief executive officer Rupert Hogg said the airline was “on track” to achieve profitability targets by the end of 2019. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 6:00pm, 10 Jun 2018Updated: 10:32pm, 10 Jun 2018

Cathay Pacific Airways has indicated it could extend negotiations with pilots to resolve a long-standing impasse over cutbacks – but would not say whether it would wait until next year.

The airline’s chief Rupert Hogg, who rose to the top post last May, said management and the pilot’s union had set a timetable to achieve a deal.

Negotiations between pilots – who make up about 13 per cent of employees – and the loss-making carrier over pay and changes to flying schedules have been going on for almost four years.

The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA), which represents most of Cathay’s 3,300 pilots, have been fighting for better working hours to reduce fatigue, while Cathay, looking to reduce HK$4 billion from its books by 2019, has been pushing for cuts that would amount to HK$1 billion. Talks stalled last November.

“When we agreed to talk, we agreed that we’ll set ourselves a timetable and if we get to a certain point that we need some more time, we’ll take some more time,” Hogg said in an interview with the Post on the sidelines of a global aviation summit in Sydney last week.

Cathay Pacific is looking to reduce HK$4 billion from its books by 2019 and has been pushing for cutbacks to pilot benefits that would amount to HK$1 billion. Photo: Bloomberg

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