HKAOA urges independent inquiry to examine airline businesses, consider should Swire continue control Cathay

The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA) has called for the Legislative Council to conduct an independent inquiry on the city's airline businesses and consider whether Swire Pacific should continue to control Cathay Pacific.

In a document submitted to the LegCo Panel on Economic Development that discusses the issues relating to cancellation of flights by Cathay between December and last month, HKAOA claimed the airline provided "flawed information" to the Civil Aviation Department, leading the aviation watchdog to conclude the cancellation of nearly 800 flights was caused by a lack of "experience and digital capability to forecast crew resources" as well as "under estimation of pilot reserve levels."

"Cathay Pacific, as a matter of fact, has been operating for decades and employs experienced, long-serving staff in crew planning and rostering," the union that represents Cathay pilots said. "The airline has also made a significant investment in industry-leading computerized rostering systems."

"It is our conclusion that, rather than any short-term crew planning issues, the root cause is simply the airline has a chronic shortage of pilots," HKAOA added.

The union said the shortage of pilots is a direct result of the exodus following management's decision to fire a thousand pilots and cut the pay of the remainder during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It added that the management of the flight giant fired 1,000 pilots in 2020 and stood by as a further 1,000 resigned over the next couple of years.

HKAOA said Cathay "has gambled with Hong Kong's aviation future in pursuit of greater profitability" and "with no home based competition, the capacity constraints, created by the lack of crew, allows the airline to cherry pick the most profitable routes and increase ticket prices."

Thus, the union urged the Panel to consider whether the bailout has been used by the airline as intended, and whether Cathay Dragon could have been sold rather than shuttered following the bailout.

"We believe that an independent inquiry examining Hong Kong's airline businesses is now urgently required," HKAOA said. "Particular consideration should be given to Swire Pacific Ltd.'s continued control of Cathay Pacific, and to the promotion of genuine competition in the Hong Kong market through proactive support for other Hong Kong based airlines."

Meanwhile, Cathay carried over 1.8 million passengers last month, up 61.6 percent year-on-year. 

Cathay said the traffic figures showed a strong demand throughout the month and the passenger business performed well as customers traveled for Lunar New Year.

The airline is anticipating growth in demand leading up to Easter, especially on long-haul routes.