Cathay Pacific said on January 7 that it is cutting its schedule by an average of 12 flights per day until the end of February in an attempt to prevent disruptions during the busiest travel period around Chinese New Year.
Ronald Lam, the CEO, stated via email that “we have taken measures to ensure Cathay Pacific’s flights will operate normally for the coming Chinese New Year travel peak.”
Due to a pilot shortage, the Hong Kong carrier had to cancel several dozen flights over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. As a precaution, the airline has adjusted its flight schedule.
In order to prevent disruptions in the upcoming weeks, it announced that it had reassessed its flight schedule and increased the number of pilots on standby.
It went on to say that it is grouping flights together and concentrating on routes with several daily flights.
The airline, which stated in November that it planned to hire 5,000 additional workers in 2024, had significantly reduced its workforce due to the Covid-19 outbreak and altered the terms and conditions of employee contracts.
The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association, which represents a portion of the airline’s pilots, stated in December that 58% of the pilots employed by Cathay for its passenger service were still there during the epidemic.
During a November conference for analysts, Cathay abandoned its plan to restore its cargo and passenger capacity to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, without providing an updated timeline.
According to the airline, in October, passenger capacity accounted for 62% of 2019 levels, while freight operations accounted for 79%.
