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Published: 11:56, September 10, 2022 | Updated: 12:00, September 10, 2022
Cathay to increase capacity after crew quarantine rules lifted
By Reuters
Published:11:56, September 10, 2022 Updated:12:00, September 10, 2022 By Reuters

Staff wait for passengers at the Cathay Pacific check-in counters at the Hong Kong International Airport on Nov 20, 2021. (BERTHA WANG / AFP)

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said it would gradually increase flying capacity in the coming months after the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s government on Friday lifted rules requiring passenger crew to quarantine in a hotel for three days on return to the city.

The onerous crew quarantine rules had made rostering difficult and were a major impediment to the airline returning to more normal operations. 

Cathay said it would continue to add back flights as quickly as feasible, but it would take time to rebuild capacity as it involves a substantial amount of crew training and reactivating stored aircraft

Cathay's passenger capacity was at just 12.4 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the month of July, although its cargo capacity was at 51 percent in part because cargo crews were no longer required to quarantine.

Before the passenger crew rules were lifted, Cathay forecast it would reach 25 percent of pre-pandemic capacity by the end of the year.

READ MORE: Hong Kong scraps quarantine rules for locally based air crew

Cathay said it would continue to add back flights as quickly as feasible, but it would take time to rebuild capacity as it involves a substantial amount of crew training and reactivating stored aircraft.

"This, combined with other operational complexities, means that capacity can only be increased gradually over a period of several months," the airline said in a statement on Saturday that did not provide updated capacity guidance.

Cathay Pacific employees walk together at Hong Kong International Airport on Oct 21, 2020. (PETER PARKS / AFP)

Cathay has said it plans to hire an additional 4,000 staff to fill operational needs over the next 18 to 24 months as travel rebounds, having cut more than 6,000 jobs during the pandemic.

Pilot attrition has been higher than normal because of the onerous quarantine requirements, combined with permanent pay cuts of as much as 58 percent. 

ALSO READ: Cathay Pacific sacks 2 aircrew for breaching COVID-19 rules

The Hong Kong government said on Friday that crew members would still need to remain isolated in their hotel rooms when on layovers outside the city.


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