Cathay Pacific cuts flight time needed for promotion by 25% amid dearth of pilots
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Cathay Pacific is on the back foot after cancelling hundreds of flights since Dec 24. On Jan 10, it said it did not roster enough pilots to operate its planned schedule.
PHOTO: REUTERS
HONG KONG – Cathay Pacific Airways has slashed the number of flying hours needed to become a captain by 25 per cent, people familiar with the matter said, as a pilot shortage contributes to mass flight cancellations and threatens to undermine the airline’s rebound from Covid-19.
Pilots now need a minimum of 3,000 hours of flying experience and 500 flights to be considered for promotion, according to an operational handbook that was updated on Jan 10.
This is down from the 4,000 hours required previously. Candidates still need 1,500 hours on commercial jets, as well as training, and must meet other requirements as well.
The move is meant to make the carrier more desirable to pilots and bolster its captain ranks, both of which were gutted by pandemic-related job losses.
Subsequent pay cuts for the remaining pilots accelerated an exodus of cockpit crews.
As a result, the Hong Kong airline has 48 per cent fewer captains and first officers than before the pandemic, according to data from Cathay Pacific’s pilots union – a shortage that has triggered the current crisis over mass flight cancellations.
The fallout has drawn fire from Hong Kong’s leader John Lee, and put Cathay Pacific chief executive Ronald Lam under scrutiny for staffing decisions made before and during the pandemic.
Cathay Pacific said the changes were approved by regulators and came into effect in November 2023. Also, experience is only one factor, with performance determining who is selected for captain training.
“It’s good for our rebuild journey, as more pilots get promoted and that helps address our operational need,” the airline said in an e-mailed statement.
Experience levels have dropped across the airline, Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association chairman Paul Weatherilt said in an interview, adding that he hopes the latest changes will not compromise the quality of Cathay Pacific’s cockpit crew.
“They are lowering the requirement and the benchmark,” he said. “The only reason this has to happen is... so many captains have left and so many experienced first officers have also left.”
In comparison, Virgin Atlantic requires pilots to have 4,000 flying hours, a spokeswoman said.
Flying hours are not relevant at Deutsche Lufthansa, as first officers have to wait 10 years or more for a captain role to open up, a company spokesperson said.
The seniority system at Qantas Airways means it can take two decades to reach captain, with everyone well exceeding established minimums, according to a Qantas union official.
Cathay Pacific is on the back foot after cancelling hundreds of flights since Dec 24.
On Jan 10, the airline said it did not roster enough pilots to operate its planned schedule. The problem stems from both not having enough pilots, and existing aircrew hitting the flying time limit of 900 hours across a rolling 12-month period. Once they exceed the limit, they are benched for the following month.
Cathay Pacific said earlier this week that chief operations and service delivery officer Alex McGowan will lead a task force to identify and resolve “underlying issues”. BLOOMBERG