Beijing ‘pressing Cathay Pacific to expand flights to Middle East, Asia to boost Hong Kong economy but airline lacking pilots’

Beijing has put pressure on Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways to expand its routes and direct flights to the Middle East and Asia to boost the city’s flagging economy and tourism, but the company is struggling to meet expectations due to a shortfall of pilots, the Post has learned. Analysts also warned that Hong Kong and the airline, the only local carrier able to provide long-haul flights, were lagging counterparts across the border, as Cathay could only launch a long-awaited direct service to Riyadh in October after a signing ceremony on June 6. In comparison, Guangzhou already has direct flight services to Kuwait and Riyadh while China Southern Airlines will fly directly from Shenzhen to the Saudi capital starting on June 3. A source close to the situation said Beijing had “demanded” Cathay run more routes and direct services to various destinations in the Middle East and Asia, in particular to locations in the Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative is the nation’s trade strategy to connect more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe and Africa via a “New Silk Road” of railways, highways and ports. “The authorities have pressed Cathay to open more routes with direct flights to the Middle East and Asia or else they may ask other mainland cities to offer the service,” the insider said. “But the airline privately admitted that it doesn’t have enough pilots for the service expansion. It all depends on whether the company has tried its best to recruit from overseas to address the shortage.”<br/>