During the week, Ricky pilots passenger jets travelling around the world for one of Hong Kong's flagship airlines, Cathay Pacific. But when the weekend arrives, he sheds his pilot cap and blazer in exchange for a face mask and helmet, and goes out to join the anti-government protests which have dominated the semi-autonomous Chinese city over the past four months. Ricky says his double life as a pilot and a protester is exhausting, but he says it's worth the risk to be part of what he sees as a battle to save his city. But recently, Ricky says he has changed his role from a frontline protester to a first aid volunteer. The threat of losing his job loomed large following Cathay's decision to implement stringent new rules outlawing staff from attending any protests deemed "illegal" by authorities. "Fear is spreading," Ricky says. "You can tell the company is being torn apart and starting to break down." Staff morale is at an all-time low, he says. Everybody is paranoid. Cathay Pacific -- an iconic Hong Kong brand -- has come under scrutiny from China after months of protests in the city, which were sparked by a proposed extradition bill with China but have morphed into a broader anti-government movement. In mid-August, Cathay announced they would be adhering to a new directive issued by China's Civil Aviation Administration which banned employees from working on flights in China if they supported "illegal protests." In the same week, several days of protests at Hong Kong's International Airport ended in chaos, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of Cathay flights. Cathay's CEO, Rupert Hogg, and Paul Loo, the CCO stepped down a few days later. On August 28, Cathay Pacific issued a revised version of its employee Code of Conduct, seen by CNN, which includes sections on social media posts, and encourages employees to "speak up" if they see breaches of the code as part of a "whistleblowing" policy. Since then, Cathay staff tell CNN that dozens of people have been fired from the company. Story has more details.<br/>
oneworld
The first Qantas A380 superjumbo to undergo a major revamp takes to the air on Tuesday, featuring new business class and premium economy seats as well as a redesigned on-board lounge. Passengers flying business class will all finally have direct access to the aisle, with the airline's Business Suite in a 1-2-1 layout replacing the Skybeds' 2-2-2 layout. The previous cabin design saw passengers in window seats having to climb over their neighbour, when in flatbed mode, to access the aisle. The multimillion dollar upgrade has seen the handful of sought-after economy class seats at the rear of the plane's upper deck replaced, making the deck exclusive to business class and premium economy passengers. A total of 30 economy class seats have been removed while the number of premium economy seats has increased from 35 to 60. The on-board lounge has been expanded with seating for up to 10 passengers from business or first class. The 14 first class suits have also been upgraded, with new cushioning and a larger, higher resolution entertainment screen.<br/>