THE Hong Kong government has expressed 'grave concerns' over Cathay Pacific's plan to cancel flights to ensure normal operations for the Lunar New Year holiday period.
The Hong Kong flagship airline cancelled twenty-one flights on Monday after it had early said that it would cut around a dozen flights a day from January to February to avoid last-minute cancellations over the peak Lunar New Year travel period.
The airline has cancelled nearly a hundred flights since Christmas Eve, including flights between Hong Kong and Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne, Delhi, and Dhaka, as well as Dubai. Long-haul flights to London and Amsterdam were also among the flights cancelled, according to media reports.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said he had expressed his 'grave concerns' to Cathay's senior management about the plan. He called on the airline to 'carefully review flight allocation and manpower arrangement, maintain good communication with employees, and ensure that it provides stable and reliable services to passengers'.
Mr Lam said authorities will continue to closely monitor the situation, maintain communication with the airline, and have instructed the Civil Aviation Department to continue monitoring Cathay Pacific's relevant arrangements.
The airline cancelled a wave of flights over the Christmas and new year holidays, when its operations were stretched due to a shortage of experienced pilots for passenger flights.
SeaNews Turkey
The Hong Kong flagship airline cancelled twenty-one flights on Monday after it had early said that it would cut around a dozen flights a day from January to February to avoid last-minute cancellations over the peak Lunar New Year travel period.
The airline has cancelled nearly a hundred flights since Christmas Eve, including flights between Hong Kong and Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne, Delhi, and Dhaka, as well as Dubai. Long-haul flights to London and Amsterdam were also among the flights cancelled, according to media reports.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said he had expressed his 'grave concerns' to Cathay's senior management about the plan. He called on the airline to 'carefully review flight allocation and manpower arrangement, maintain good communication with employees, and ensure that it provides stable and reliable services to passengers'.
Mr Lam said authorities will continue to closely monitor the situation, maintain communication with the airline, and have instructed the Civil Aviation Department to continue monitoring Cathay Pacific's relevant arrangements.
The airline cancelled a wave of flights over the Christmas and new year holidays, when its operations were stretched due to a shortage of experienced pilots for passenger flights.
SeaNews Turkey
