Concerns of deep-seated issues after Cathay's flight cancellations

Airline says operations are normal but pilot union chief points to dire staff shortage

- Magdalene Fung

HONG KONG Hong Kong's flagship airline, Cathay Pacific, has cancelled more than 80 flights since Christmas Eve, sparking concerns among customers on the possibility of further disruptions.

Questions have also been raised over whether the carrier is facing deep-seated problems.

Cathay Pacific cancelled at least 42 flights that were scheduled to fly between Hong Kong and Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne, Delhi and Dhaka, as well as Dubai, in the week of Dec 31, 2023, to Jan 6, according to its website.

It had earlier already axed at least 40 other flights, including long-haul ones to London and Amsterdam, in the final week of December.

In response to queries by The Straits Times, Cathay Pacific said it chose to "proactively cancel a small number of flights in order to ensure the successful delivery of our overall services" amid "a marked increase in the number of flights operated over the holiday peak season".

It apologised to affected passengers and assured the public that its operations remained "normal overall".

The airline had earlier attributed the cancellations to "higherthan-anticipated pilot absence caused by seasonal illness on certain days in December".

Mr Paul Weatherilt, a Cathay pilot and chairman of its pilots' union, the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association, pointed to a deeper-seated issue of a dire pilot shortage that could be traced back to the organisation's staffing strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"During Covid-19, Cathay made a very strange choice," Mr Weatherilt told ST. "They could have made other choices like putting staff on sabbatical... But they decided to make just under 1,000 out of its then around 4,000 pilots redundant."