Hong Kong flagship carrier Cathay Pacific has cancelled over 40 flights in the days leading up to the new year, citing absences caused by seasonal illness. However, the airline’s pilots’ union has pointed to a shortage of senior pilots.
According to Cathay’s website and the Hong Kong Aviation Forum, at least 43 flights scheduled between Friday and January 1 next year have been cancelled. That includes several flights between Hong Kong and Japan, mainland China, Singapore, Australia, and South Korea – among other destinations.
The airline apologised to passengers affected by the disruptions, and attributed the cancellations to “seasonal illness on certain days in December.”
“Cathay Pacific experienced higher than anticipated pilot absence caused by seasonal illness on certain days in December. Our operations remain normal overall, with a marked increase in the number of flights operated over the holiday peak season,” a Cathay statement read on Friday.
“We have chosen to proactively cancel a small number of flights in order to ensure the successful delivery of our overall services. The total number of cancellations since mid-December is less than 1 per cent of all passenger flights operated.”
Pilot shortage
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association Paul Weatherilt said the shortage of pilots a year into the city’s post-pandemic recovery was “at the root” of flight cancellations and delays.
He told HKFP on Friday that the airline’s passenger operation only had around half of the captains and first officers that it had pre-pandemic, adding: “This is what happens when you don’t have enough pilots. There will always be some illness among crew but this doesn’t mean flights have to be cancelled.”
“Because of the decisions taken by management in 2020 the airline’s passenger operation only has 52 per cent of the Captains and First Officers that it used to have,” said Weatherilt, a captain at the flagship airline.
Returning to pre-pandemic levels of profitability has been an uphill battle for the carrier, following losses of HK$33.7 billion over the course of the pandemic.
The company slashed its workforce by almost a quarter in October 2020 and shut down its subsidiary Cathay Dragon, which mainly flew short-haul flights within Asia. The downsizing effort led to a total of 8,500 job losses, with 5,300 of them among Hong Kong-based staff.
Meanwhile, most other airlines around the world have fully recovered, while Cathay’s had stalled, he said. According to a report provided by the association, the current number of pilots at Cathay stands just 58 per cent of pre-Covid levels.
As of December 13, Cathay employs 638 Captains – 52 per cent of the 1,228 employed pre-Covid; 800 First Officers – 52 per cent of the previous 1,544; and 541 Second Officers – 88 per cent of the previous 613.
“The most significant shortage is in fully qualified experienced pilots – Captains and First Officers,” the statement read. All flights require, at minimum, one Captain and First Officer each.
The association also said Cathay’s recruitment drive to hire 800 cadets by the end of 2024 “will not solve the short term problem of lack of senior pilots.”
“It will be years before the required training can be completed and Hong Kong can recover its status as a global aviation hub,” Weatherilt said.
It usually takes around 10 years to become a captain, progressing through the ranks from trainee to second officer, first officer, and then captain – of which there are several ranks.
Earlier this August, Cathay Pacific Group posted its first half-year profit since 2020, with earnings increasing to HK$4.26 billion. It announced that it was close to 60 per cent of pre-pandemic passenger capacity and on the way to resuming 70 per cent by the end of 2023.
According to a Cathay statement issued last week, the airline carried some 1.63 million passengers this November. The figure for June was 1.55 million, and for July, 1.74 million.
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