Coronavirus: Cathay Pacific warns of ‘severe financial difficulties’ but does swift U-turn and resumes cadet pilot training
- Hong Kong’s flagship carrier, feeling the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, has already taken stern cost-cutting measures
- It apologises to cadet pilots in memo and says importance of training programme outweighs cash saving
Cathay Pacific on Monday reversed a decision to suspend cadet pilot training despite warning of “severe financial difficulties”, after several dozen trainees were told at the weekend their course had been halted amid an emergency cost-saving drive.
Hong Kong’s flagship airline defended its short-term priority to save cash against the “highly changeable” uncertainty of the Covid-19 virus epidemic versus its long-term strategies.
The change affects cadets in training, while three groups who were due to start would be rescheduled.
The U-turn came just hours after the Post reported the suspension.
“While our business remains in severe financial difficulties we have come to the conclusion after further discussion that the importance of our cadet programme, and each of you, outweighs the cash saving brought by the communicated delay,” the airline told its cadets in a memo.