HONG KONG: Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific Airways plans to hire more flight attendants and pilots from the Chinese mainland as the airline continues to increase the number of flights connecting the mainland and Hong Kong with overseas destinations.
The airline is working to attract more Chinese mainland talent to support its future development plans.
Currently, the group has more than 30,000 employees from some 70 countries and regions, including about 3,000 employees from the Chinese mainland.
By the end of this year, it aims to raise the number of Chinese mainland employees to 4,000.
With operating bases in Beijing and Shanghai, Cathay Pacific plans to mainly hire flight attendants in the Chinese mainland, as well as more pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, ground crew members and information technology personnel.
In Shenzhen and Guangzhou of Guangdong province, the company has two offices that focus on the technology side of the business and it hopes to soon expand these teams to about 200 people in total.
“In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, there are many excellent digital talent and research companies, providing a great platform for Cathay Pacific to attract more outstanding Chinese mainland talent,” said Cathay Group people director Patricia Hwang.
“The total number of flights operated by Cathay Pacific has rebounded to the pre-pandemic level. This year, we aim to increase the number of destinations that we fly to 100 worldwide and continue to increase investments. We are confident in our growth potential.”
Cathay Pacific announced last year that it would invest more than HK$100bil in the next seven years for its development strategy.
This includes increasing investment in its fleet, cabin products, lounges, digital upgrades and sustainable development, the company said.
Meanwhile, the group reported an attributable profit of HK$9.9bil last year, higher than a profit of HK$9.8bil in 2023, driven by stronger cargo demand, higher passenger volumes, lower fuel price and higher cost efficiencies, according to its annual report released in mid-March.
For new flights to the Chinese mainland, Cathay Pacific recently announced that it plans to launch direct flights connecting Hong Kong and Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, starting from April 28.
The new four-flights-per-week return service will bring the airline’s passenger network in the Chinese mainland to 20 destinations.
“Urumqi is an exciting new addition to our network, directly connecting our home city with an important Belt and Road hub in Northwest China,” said Lavinia Lau, chief customer and commercial officer at Cathay Group. — China Daily/ANN
