Cathay Pacific Crew to Receive 3.3% Pay Rise

DALLAS - Cathay Pacific's (CX) outgoing CEO Augustus Tang has announced a 3.3% pay rise for its staff with bonuses worth the equivalent of one month's salary for 2023.

According to Reuters, Tang sent a memo to its staff, saying, "We have moved from 'survival' to 'recovery', and I am so grateful for the collective efforts of all of you as we work together to regrow Cathay."

CX crews will receive a 3.3% pay rise during 2023. Photo: Cathay Pacific.

Operations Ramp Up

The airline has recently ramped up its operations since Hong Kong's Covid restrictions were relaxed. However, it has revealed that it does not expect pre-pandemic capacity to be restored until the end of 2024.

It plans to add around 3,000 flights by the end of 2022. In the next 18 to 24 months, it hopes to hire around 4,000 staff to replace those lost during the pandemic.

CX Airbus A330-300 (B-HLQ). Photo: Brandon Farris/Airways.

Staffing Challenges

However, the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA), which represents the carrier's pilots, said that Cathay is facing staffing challenges due to a mass exodus of its crew and challenges with training new crew members.

In October, HKAOA said that the CX had seen "a record number of resignations from the company's most experienced pilots," losing over 40% of its captains and first officers. This was due, it said, to more than two years of stringent quarantine restrictions and permanent pay cuts of up to 58% made in 2020.

Featured Image: CX Boeing 777-300ER (B-KQL). Photo: Liam Funnell/Airways.