Once a “glamour industry,” pilots are finding roles at Cathay Pacific airlines less and less enticing. With exhausting “closed loop” flights meant to avoid triggering quarantine and Hong Kong’s strict COVID rules, pilots have often been kept away from their families for weeks at a time. Plus, a drastically reduced capacity has grounded many pilots, leading to lower wages and forced unpaid leave. All of this has led to a spike in resignations from flight crew in the company. So to combat the surge of resignations, the airline will now offer higher monthly allowances and other perks, depending on the position.
The added perks will depend on pilot ranking and come on top of base salaries and hourly flying rates. Plus, HK$100,000 per child will be allotted for yearly school fees (both in Hong Kong and overseas) for up to three children – which reflects an increase for first and second officers.
Key comments:
“It is not the glamour industry it used to be,” said an anonymous expatriate Cathay Pacific pilot on unpaid leave in January, referring to the stress and fatigue that comes with a flying career nowadays.
“This is a significant investment on our pilots at this time,” said a Cathay Pacific spokeswoman in a statement through text.
