Accusations of staff breaching Covid rules latest in trouble few years for Hong Kong flag carrier
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. Last year, Cathay staff spent a total of 200 years – 76,000 nights – in hotel quarantine or in Hong Kong’s government facility at Penny’s Bay.
. After a management change, at least 26 staff who participated in the protests were later reportedly fired.“It’s quite obvious that the flag carrier for Hong Kong is in deep trouble,” said Frederik Gollob, the chair of the European chamber of commerce in Hong Kong. “Cathay is of course a corporate company but has also had a social function for Hong Kong for decades.
A woman walks past empty counters of Cathay Pacific at Hong Kong international airport in January 2022.Hong Kong’s pandemic border restrictions are among the strictest in the world, with bans on flights from seven countries and transit passengers from another 140. On a single day last week, just 165 people flew into what was once one of the world’s 10 busiest airports.
Questioned about the comparison, Lam distanced herself from taking responsibility for subordinates despite demanding Cathay’s senior management to do so days earlier. On Christmas Day last year, 25 imported cases of coronavirus were found – Korean Air, Emirates and Cathay were banned from running particular routes. Also in December the government ordered flights operating in and out of mainland China could only be staffed by crew from a “closed loop” of flights and hotel quarantines for consecutive weeks before heading home after another fortnight in quarantine.
On Tuesday Lam told people to prepare for higher prices and item shortages because of the new rules, but that the city had no choice if they were to fight the outbreak.