London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Protected and pampered Cathay has let Hong Kong down

Protected and pampered Cathay has let Hong Kong down

Despite receiving lifelines from the Hong Kong government, the airline’s management chose to ruthlessly sack staff. The contrast between the reaction of laid-off Cathay staff and former employees of a US factory in Shenzhen is telling.

The Cathay Pacific brand once soared high, not only in Hong Kong or Asia but around the world. Its merits were many, including top class cabin crew and ground staff, and ranking among the safest airlines in the world.

Cathay Pacific’s ascent was in part due to the protection of the British government during the colonial period. It had leverage over other Hong Kong and Chinese aviation companies, and thus monopolised the industry for a few decades. Even after the handover, it continued to enjoy a protective umbrella in Hong Kong.

The pampered aviation company received HK$27.3 billion from our government in addition to being allocated HK$680 million under Employment Support Scheme as a coronavirus relief measure. This should have helped it tide over the aviation crisis fuelled by Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, it chose to lay off 8,500 employees of which 5,300 were in Hong Kong.

Cathay’s hackneyed corporate culture and its unwillingness to change are responsible for its dismal failures today. The airline, which Hongkongers were once so proud of, is now in excruciating pain, but can it return to its glory days? First and foremost, it should start thinking in terms of the benefits to Hongkongers and doing away with its archaic managerial mindset.

Cathay Pacific Airways announces its largest job cuts in history

Many sacked Cathay Pacific staff have been grieving while other employees have been lashing out at the company for insisting they sign new contracts.


In Shenzhen, the factory of Stanley Black & Decker, a major US tool and household hardware maker, has also shut up shop after 25 years in operation due to soaring production costs, with all its 1,000 workers laid off. However, though staff were taken by surprise, they received generous redundancy packages and were reportedly satisfied with the deal.

What a contrast to Cathay, which has operated in Hong Kong for much longer than 25 years. It would be expected to see its employees as part of a united family, taking their previous contributions into account. The ruthless way Cathay Pacific laid off staff will be a searing memory in every Hongkonger’s mind.

Cathay management should reflect on the damage to the airline’s corporate image that has resulted from its recent decisions.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×