Summary
- Cathay Pacific targets expanding its worker size by about 5,000 employees this yr.
- The airline faced flight disruptions throughout the last week of December, with over 80 flights canceled
- The carrier is actively recruiting latest employees, including former employees to support its rebuilding efforts.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific is planning to expand its worker size by employees in 2024. The news comes after the carrier suffered several flight cancelations amid busy Latest 12 months holiday travel last week. Over 80 flights were reportedly disrupted throughout the last week of December, with greater than half accounting for departures to Australia, China, India, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.
The carrier, hit hard throughout the pandemic, has been reeling from cost-saving actions implemented in 2020, including separating greater than 8,000 employees. Its passenger operation reportedly has retained just over 50% of pilots employed before the worldwide crisis.
Reinstating 5,000 jobs
Cathay didn’t confirm to Easy Flying that the recent flight disruptions were directly related to a shortage of pilots, but ratherHowever, the Hong Kong flagship airline apologized to all affected passengers and said it could possible
Photo: Cathay Pacific
Since 2022, Cathay has been focused on increasing its workforce. Based on a press release to Easy Flying earlier this week, the carrier plans to onboard hundreds of latest employees this yr, while many have already been invited to return.
“We goal to expand our worker size by around 5,000 people in 2024. Nearly 2,000 former employees have been successfully invited back to the group.”
“Turning on all of the taps”
Together with slashing its workforce in 2020, Cathay consolidated operations and shut down its former wholly-owned subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, which operated short-haul flights inside Asia. The move resulted in a complete of 8,500 job cuts, with greater than 5,000 of them based in Hong Kong, in response to the Hong Kong Free Press.
the airline explained.
Achieving the pilot deficit
Paul Weatherlit, the Chairman of Cathay’s pilot union, the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers, said that while most airlines worldwide have somewhat fully recovered, Cathay’s has been at a standstill.
the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers said in a press release obtained by the Hong Kong Free Press.
638 Captains were reportedly employed by the airline as of December 13, 2023, which is 52% of the 1,228 that worked on the carrier pre-pandemic. Amongst First Officers, 800 were employed as of last month, accounting for 52% of the 1,544 previously employed. 613 Second Officers reportedly worked on the airline before the pandemic, and in December, there have been 541, making up 88%, in response to the Hong Kong Free Press.
Photo: Cathay Pacific
Cathay said.