Cathay’s recovery still a work in progress
- Hong Kong’s flag carrier may have returned to profit but there is still much to be done to improve service quality and offer competitive airfares to attract customers
The slow, steady climb back from pandemic doldrums continues for Cathay Pacific Airways. Hong Kong’s flag carrier revealed last week it carried 11.34 million passengers in the first eight months of the year.
The figures are welcome news for the city and its beleaguered aviation industry, but Cathay must stay focused on addressing concerns about its service quality and airfares.
Passenger numbers from the first part of the year were 1,302 per cent higher than the same period in 2022, when many pandemic restrictions were still in place.
The figure is still only 46 per cent of the 24.4 million carried by Cathay Pacific and the now-closed Cathay Dragon in the first eight months of 2019.
Lavinia Lau Hoi-zee, the chief customer and commercial officer for the group, last Wednesday said that the business forecast was good and Cathay now had about 170 return services a week to 15 cities in mainland China alone.
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She said student travellers and major shopping events should help lift figures in the coming months.
Cathay plans to add more flights, especially to and from the mainland, but airlines based across the border have already soared ahead in restoring such routes.
Last month Cathay managed to post a return to profit spurred by strong demand following the reopening of the city’s borders. Higher ticket prices also played a role, rankling many customers.
The airline’s reputation also took a hit recently when three cabin crew members were accused of mocking Mandarin-speaking passengers on a flight from mainland China, prompting apologies and promises to step up training and recruitment of mainland staff.
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The carrier continues to struggle from a shortage of workers related to the thousands of lay-offs made to cut costs during the pandemic.
So it was good to see Cathay make a concession to disgruntled cockpit crew last Thursday with a new allowance for pilots to help reduce the impact of the company’s rostering system.
Service quality and fare worries still weigh heavily on the minds of customers. Demonstrable progress in addressing those concerns is needed to convince more travellers to choose Cathay Pacific as they return to the skies.
