Cathay’s HK Express says staff member fired over handling of Portuguese egg tarts
- According to HK Express, ground crew member hired by separate company violated rules for handling food left by passengers
Cathay Pacific Airways’ budget airline HK Express confirmed on Saturday a ground crew member had been fired over the handling of a passenger’s Portuguese egg tarts.
The confirmation came after a social media post went viral on Wednesday, questioning whether it was proper for a ground crew member to eat the food.
According to the airline, the ground crew member, hired by an outside company, violated the company’s proper procedures for handling food left behind by passengers.
“The staff member involved has been terminated by the relevant ground handling service provider, and all staff have been instructed to strictly adhere to the proper standard handling procedures,” the company said.
“We allow passengers to bring food and beverages on board; however, consuming outside food and beverages in the cabin is not allowed. Ground staff will remind passengers of these regulations before boarding, but they will not confiscate passengers’ food.”
The viral posting on Instagram included a picture of several people digging into three boxes of Portuguese egg tarts from fast food chain KFC, with a caption saying they were from a passenger who tried to bring the tarts on board.
The airline stated that it always put customers first, noting it did not tolerate any behaviour that did not comply with its service standards.