Staff shortage: A file photo of a Cathay Pacific plane arriving in Hong Kong. The airline has had to cancel hundreds of flights since Dec 24 due to manpower constraints. — AFP
Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd slashed the number of flying hours needed to become a captain by 25%, people familiar with the matter say, as a pilot shortage contributes to mass flight cancellations and threatens to undermine the airline’s pandemic rebound.
Pilots now must have 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.
That’s down from 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 intended to make the carrier more desirable to pilots and bolster its captain’s ranks, both gutted by Covid-related job losses. Subsequent pay cuts for the remaining pilots accelerated an exodus of cockpit crews.
As a result, the airline has 48% fewer captains and first officers than before the pandemic, according to data from Cathay’s pilots union – a shortage that has triggered the current crisis over flight cancellations.
The fallout has drawn fire from Hong Kong’s leader John Lee, and put Cathay chief executive officer Ronald Lam under scrutiny for staffing decisions made before and during the pandemic.
Cathay said the changes were approved by regulators and came into effect in November. Experience is only one factor, with performance determining who is selected for captain’s training.
“It’s good for our rebuild journey, as more pilots get promoted and that helps address our operational needs,” the airline said in an emailed statement.
Experience levels have dropped across the airline, Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association chair Paul Weatherilt said in an interview, adding that he hopes the latest changes won’t compromise the quality of Cathay’s cockpit crew.
“They are lowering the requirement and the benchmark,” he said. “The only reason that this has to happen is because 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 aren’t relevant at Deutsche Lufthansa AG, as first officers have to wait 10 years or more for a captain’s role to open up, a company spokesperson said.
The seniority system at Qantas Airways Ltd means it can take two decades to reach captain, with everyone well exceeding established minimums, a Qantas union official said.
Cathay is on the back foot after cancelling hundreds of flights since Dec 24. Last Wednesday, it said it didn’t 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. — Bloomberg
