Will Cathay Pacific face a pilot exodus to mainland airlines?
Mainland Chinese carriers are seeking to poach Cathay Pacific Airways pilots, capitalising on a cost-cutting drive by Hong Kong’s flagship airline to slash salaries and benefits. Some 200 pilots from Cathay Pacific are considering their options with the likes of China Southern and Hainan Airlines after registering with a recruitment agency, according to a source. This has contributed to cockpit recruiters for China’s major state-owned and private airlines making greater strides to woo Hong Kong-based pilots feeling disenchanted over salary cuts and wanting a better lifestyle. In an attempt to plug losses of HK$2.05b in H1 of the year, Cathay Pacific embarked on a three-year transformation plan to rein in costs which included 600 job cuts so far. Last month, pilots at Cathay Pacific were told that they would face a salary freeze, pension changes and substantial cuts to housing allowances worth HK$1.2m. “Until last month, very few Cathay Pacific pilots have inquired, or made applications to Chinese airlines. However we have seen a spike in interest in recent weeks, numbering in the hundreds,” said Deborah White, marketing manager for Longreach Aviation, which recruits pilots for Chinese airlines. It will host recruitment briefings for Hong Kong pilots at the end of the month. Longreach Aviation said two of its clients – China Southern and Hainan – would need an estimated 100 foreign captains to meet demand for expansion each year until 2020.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2017-10-23/oneworld/will-cathay-pacific-face-a-pilot-exodus-to-mainland-airlines
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Will Cathay Pacific face a pilot exodus to mainland airlines?
Mainland Chinese carriers are seeking to poach Cathay Pacific Airways pilots, capitalising on a cost-cutting drive by Hong Kong’s flagship airline to slash salaries and benefits. Some 200 pilots from Cathay Pacific are considering their options with the likes of China Southern and Hainan Airlines after registering with a recruitment agency, according to a source. This has contributed to cockpit recruiters for China’s major state-owned and private airlines making greater strides to woo Hong Kong-based pilots feeling disenchanted over salary cuts and wanting a better lifestyle. In an attempt to plug losses of HK$2.05b in H1 of the year, Cathay Pacific embarked on a three-year transformation plan to rein in costs which included 600 job cuts so far. Last month, pilots at Cathay Pacific were told that they would face a salary freeze, pension changes and substantial cuts to housing allowances worth HK$1.2m. “Until last month, very few Cathay Pacific pilots have inquired, or made applications to Chinese airlines. However we have seen a spike in interest in recent weeks, numbering in the hundreds,” said Deborah White, marketing manager for Longreach Aviation, which recruits pilots for Chinese airlines. It will host recruitment briefings for Hong Kong pilots at the end of the month. Longreach Aviation said two of its clients – China Southern and Hainan – would need an estimated 100 foreign captains to meet demand for expansion each year until 2020.<br/>
