According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flag airline, would rehire personnel as part of a plan to increase flight numbers as a result of better travel demand across Asia-Pacific.
According to a local publication, the airline asked former employees who were furloughed during the COVID-19 outbreak to submit a priority application.
“We have started to reach out to former cabin crew of the Cathay Pacific Group who we had to part ways with during the restructuring in 2020, but who expressed an interest in being notified when opportunities to rejoin Cathay Pacific arise,” Cathay Pacific spokesperson told AeroTime. “Given the lead time required in personnel recruitment and training, we are continually reviewing our people resource requirements for the 18-24 month period ahead and planning for the anticipated recovery in Hong Kong and global aviation in this period.”
Cathay Pacific said in an emailed statement that the airline’s Cadet Pilot training program was restarted in April 2022 in conjunction with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). Cathay Pacific plans to train over 280 local cadet pilots in 2022, with a goal of training over 1,000 by 2025.
The announcement comes only weeks after the airline released its operating performance and financial forecasts for the months ahead.
The airline carried 40,823 passengers in April 2022, just 1.3 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
“The recent adjustments to the Government’s travel restrictions and quarantine requirements will help facilitate the gradual resumption of travel activities and the strengthening of network connectivity to and from the Hong Kong aviation hub,” Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Ronald Lam said in a monthly traffic update on May 11, 2022.
Cathay Pacific has been struck hard by COVID-19 travel restrictions in Hong Kong and mainland China, making it one of the worst-affected airlines in the world.
