“Toxic climate”: Hong Kong pilots are subject to “zero COVID” rules New Aviation

Hong Kong, China – When a Cathay Pacific pilot checked the company’s seniority list last month, he was amazed at what he saw. Six months later, it climbed to about 400 seats, a sign that the same number of pilots had left the airline during that time.

The airline’s departures come amid a growing frustration with Hong Kong’s “zero COVID” policy, which has cut off “Asia’s World City” from the world and raised doubts about its future as an aviation hub.

Within Cathay Pacific, many employees believe that management has not backed down enough from the Hong Kong government’s zero-tolerance pandemic strategy, and that it has suffered damage from severe pandemic regulations that include some of the world’s longest quarantines.

“It’s always a very knee-jerk reaction to government regulations,” the pilot told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity. “That’s why morale has dropped dramatically in recent weeks.”

The pilot, who has worked for the airline for nearly a decade, said the breaking point for many workers came after Cathay’s immediate decision to send him out last month. 130 pilots to a government-managed forty facility Three people in Frankfurt were hired after COVID-19 without any initial investigation. At least 20 workers resigned on the same day and more are expected, the pilot said.

Although it is not clear how many pilots have left the airline due to strict city regulations, recent departures represent an increase in turnover compared to previous years. According to the airline, in 2018 only 130 pilots were retired or resigned.

“They agreed to do everything the government really thought they could do,” said the pilot, who has been on the ground since July 2020 and has seen a 20 per cent pay cut to see that the planned rescheduling date has been repeatedly delayed.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition, a federation of pilot unions, expressed concern about Cathay Pacific’s “unbearable working conditions” since the pandemic hit, including long periods of quarantine and family separation.

“Cathay Pacific pilots face hostile management,” said John Sluys, the coalition leader who represents 30,000 pilots. “The result is a toxic industrial climate.”

In line with mainland China’s policy, Hong Kong has maintained its “zero COVID” strategy, which defines a 21-day quarantine and a “close relationship” with positive ones.

Residents who are unlucky enough to make a hotel quarantine when another guest gives a positive will have an additional 14 days, and will have 35 days incommunicado detention. Hong Kong General Manager Carrie Lam has argued that it is necessary to restore travel to the mainland and take care of public health in the city, where only 213 people have died as a result of COVID-19.

In the last fortnight Swiss International Air Lines and British Airways have suspended flights to the city, citing strict procedures for crews.

Cathay Pacific, however, has failed to adapt government policies as some medical experts have criticized the lack of scientific basis.

Last week, the airline approved the use of separate crews in mainland China and international flights to reopen the city’s border this month.

Another Cathay Pacific pilot who spoke to Al Jazeera said he could only endure one turn of the airline’s “closed-loop” system before returning to a temporary layoff because he was “mentally too strict.”

The closed-loop system requires crew members to be isolated for the three to four weeks they fly, and then there will be another long quarantine when they return to Hong Kong.

The pilot, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, was initially allowed to fly under the policy in the face of another job cut, following the dismissal of 5,900 workers last year.

“The new contract allows the company to decide who should be fired instead of seniority. I was afraid I would be on the firing line if I stopped, ”the pilot said, adding that some of the pilots were in the fifth or sixth loop.

He is now conducting flights to extend the duty, where crew members take longer shifts with the exception of the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department.

“Realistic in a Global World”

A new measure to reduce the wages of some long-time crew members has also affected staff morale. Despite the holiday season, Cathay has had to cut a third of its passenger flights due to a lack of crew willing to work under the agreement.

“It doesn’t make sense to keep the borders closed and keep strict quarantine measures in place when the rest of the territory returns to normal,” the pilot said.

“Instead of taking advantage of our stance to push for policy change, the company maintains these flight arrangements, which mitigates its impact and allows it to sustain the government,” he said. “And it has made life very difficult for those in the aviation industry.”

A spokeswoman for Cathay Pacific said the current environment was “a challenge for everyone” but that the airline was in favor of a Hong Kong pandemic and saw its success as “the key to restarting regular cross-border air travel and maintaining the city’s airfield situation”. . ”.

“Until the end of October, the rate of our resignations and early retirement has been on par with historical data,” the spokesman said, adding that the company was assisting employees with the break after closed periods of circulation, financial incentives and long leave. . “Unfortunately, the events in Frankfurt have affected current sentiment; however, we expect to be a competitive employer of local and international talent in the long run, and we are planning to do so. We plan to employ hundreds of pilots next year, many of whom are already interested in becoming part of the Cathay brand. ”

The spokesman added that the recent closure of its overseas bases for pilots and the usual wear and tear and retirement have been “a majority” on the seniority list.

International travel has come to a standstill under Hong Kong’s strict “Zero COVID” policy [File: Chan Long Hei/Bloomberg]

John Grant, chief analyst at the British consulting firm Midas Aviation, told Al Jazeera that the government’s zero-tolerance policies threatened the situation in Hong Kong, including the position of the world’s most busy cargo areas.

“Until China’s wider access to the market is restored and the Chinese authorities start accepting a realistic zero-COVID stance in a global world, the current position will not improve,” Grant said.

Pilot exodus adds to Cathay Pacific’s ills, including a global shortage of professional aviation, Grant said. But he predicted that the impact of the Omicron variant would be limited, as the airline is already operating at less than 30 percent of its normal capacity.

“After all, how much worse could it be for Cathay?” he said.

Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace consultancy analyst at Teal Group, said Hong Kong has faced deeper challenges than other aviation centers that have experienced a sharp drop in traffic, such as Singapore and Dubai.

“Given the other major challenges facing Hong Kong, such as political repression, the massive exodus of talent, and the widespread use of hostage-taking diplomacy by Beijing, the quarantine is just a little off,” Aboulafia said.