When a Cathay Pacific cargo pilot was named in December as one of the first carriers of
Omicron in Hong Kong, it was a fitting end to another bleak year for the airline.
Cathay has been operating with passenger capacity at 93 percent below pre-pandemic levels as
a result of Hong Kong’s zero-Covid-19 policy, with weeks of quarantine for pilots and crew
devastating morale.
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And in today's video, we are going to discuss “Very SAD News For Cathay Pacific!”
So without any further ado, Let's begin.
In January, Cathay Pacific Cargo only provided 20% of its pre-Covid capacity, and passenger
flights have reduced to around 2% of their pre-Covid levels.
The airline expected that it results in an operating cash burn of HK$ one billion to
1.5 billion per month from mid of March.
Cathay Pacific expected that the flights to China will remain largely unaffected, but
the capacity to the rest of the network will be reduced in response to the measures.
However, Hong Kong Express, its low-cost carrier maintains connectivity with some regional
destinations.
Cathay Pacific has announced immediate major cuts to its flight schedule, including canceling
passenger and cargo services to and from Hong Kong.
The airline did not provide details on how many flights would be grounded but it said
it would operate a skeleton passenger schedule in January.
It comes after Hong Kong announced tighter Covid-19 quarantine rules for air cargo crew.
The move was aimed at tackling the threat of the Omicron Covid variant.
Cathay pilots have previously told the BBC the restrictions have affected their mental
health and personal lives.
Cathay Pacific has said its crews spent a combined total of 73,000 nights in quarantine
last year as the airline struggles to keep flying through Hong Kong's strict zero-Covid
controls.
The city government says the carrier faces possible legal action over an outbreak of
the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that began with two aircrew breaking home quarantine
rules and has forced a tightening of social distancing measures.
An ongoing government investigation is the latest setback for Cathay Pacific, which has
been battered by the pandemic and has seen rising anger from pilots and crew over Hong
Kong's virus controls.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, described the airline as “a
very big noncompliance case” and accused it of sending some crew back to the territory
on empty cargo flights to access shorter quarantine periods.
“This has to be put under full investigation, and we will take legal action once we have
the full evidence of what wrong they went into,” Lam said.
The accusations are the latest chapter in a troubled few years for Cathay, as it navigated
Hong Kong’s Covid-19 measures as well as changing politics.
The punitive action against the airline has damaged morale as staff face job requirements
unheard of just three years ago.
Cathay pilots said that dozens had quit in the weeks since November following a high-profile
quarantine fiasco.
That month, three pilots who had tested positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong were sacked after
they left their hotel rooms and breached quarantine rules during a layover in Frankfurt.
Because of the positive cases, 130 Cathay pilots who had stayed at the same hotel were
forced to enter 21 days of isolation in the government-run Penny’s Bay quarantine center,
nestled beside Hong Kong Disneyland.
Most pilots were released less than a week later after authorities reassessed the risk
but for many, the draconian quarantine order represented a breaking point.
“The guys here are absolutely desperate,” said one pilot who has been with the company
for more than 15 years and was part of the Frankfurt saga.
“It feels like we are permanently in quarantine.
There are a lot of pilots at the moment who are on long-term stress leave or sick leave.”
Cathay pilots and crew have to undergo up to two weeks of quarantine if they land in
the city.
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