London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 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
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×