Much to learn from SIA, says Cathay Pacific chief as competition hots up
Much to learn from SIA, says Cathay Pacific chief as competition hots up<br/>There is a lot that Cathay Pacific can learn from its “respected competitor” Singapore Airlines), said the carrier’s CE, as the Hong Kong-based airline continues to make up ground against its rivals after a late start to its Covid-19 recovery. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a summit for Asia-Pacific airlines in Singapore last Friday, Cathay Pacific chief Ronald Lam described the dynamic between the two flag carriers as “constructive, healthy competition that will drive improvement on both sides”. He said: “(SIA) is a world-class airline… and we believe we are one of those as well. We had our challenges before and during Covid-19, and now we are catching up.” One of the hardest-hit airlines during the pandemic, Cathay Pacific has since restored about 70% of its passenger flight capacity ahead of schedule following the lifting of travel curbs by the territory in December 2022. Lam said Singapore is an important city for the carrier, and Cathay Pacific now operates eight flights a day between Hong Kong and the Republic, which is close to pre-pandemic levels. The airline’s next target is a full recovery by the end of 2024, which is not far off SIA’s projection of returning to full capacity sometime between April 2024 and March 2025. SIA CE Goh Choon Phong said in a separate interview that even if some of its competitors in the region are slow in restoring capacity, the national carrier cannot take them for granted. “I think we have to take them very seriously as they recover,” he said. While competition between airlines in the region continues to hot up, airline chiefs at Friday’s meeting flagged other concerns. Lam said Cathay Pacific’s biggest bottleneck now is the training of pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, as it looks to hire another 5,000 workers across the airline group in 2024. “We have been working hard on that, including potentially doing some of the training with our partners in Singapore, for example,” he added. Meanwhile, ongoing supply chain snags that have hit aircraft and engine-makers, as well as spare parts manufacturers, are a “post-Covid-19 hangover” that the airline industry needs to address.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-11-14/star/much-to-learn-from-sia-says-cathay-pacific-chief-as-competition-hots-up
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Much to learn from SIA, says Cathay Pacific chief as competition hots up
Much to learn from SIA, says Cathay Pacific chief as competition hots up<br/>There is a lot that Cathay Pacific can learn from its “respected competitor” Singapore Airlines), said the carrier’s CE, as the Hong Kong-based airline continues to make up ground against its rivals after a late start to its Covid-19 recovery. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a summit for Asia-Pacific airlines in Singapore last Friday, Cathay Pacific chief Ronald Lam described the dynamic between the two flag carriers as “constructive, healthy competition that will drive improvement on both sides”. He said: “(SIA) is a world-class airline… and we believe we are one of those as well. We had our challenges before and during Covid-19, and now we are catching up.” One of the hardest-hit airlines during the pandemic, Cathay Pacific has since restored about 70% of its passenger flight capacity ahead of schedule following the lifting of travel curbs by the territory in December 2022. Lam said Singapore is an important city for the carrier, and Cathay Pacific now operates eight flights a day between Hong Kong and the Republic, which is close to pre-pandemic levels. The airline’s next target is a full recovery by the end of 2024, which is not far off SIA’s projection of returning to full capacity sometime between April 2024 and March 2025. SIA CE Goh Choon Phong said in a separate interview that even if some of its competitors in the region are slow in restoring capacity, the national carrier cannot take them for granted. “I think we have to take them very seriously as they recover,” he said. While competition between airlines in the region continues to hot up, airline chiefs at Friday’s meeting flagged other concerns. Lam said Cathay Pacific’s biggest bottleneck now is the training of pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, as it looks to hire another 5,000 workers across the airline group in 2024. “We have been working hard on that, including potentially doing some of the training with our partners in Singapore, for example,” he added. Meanwhile, ongoing supply chain snags that have hit aircraft and engine-makers, as well as spare parts manufacturers, are a “post-Covid-19 hangover” that the airline industry needs to address.<br/>
