Cathay Pacific Faces Backlash as Flight Attendant Union Calls for Addressing Staff Shortages and Boosting Morale
Cathay Pacific needs to address staff and resource shortages and raise pay to boost morale among its flight attendants, according to the flight attendant union.
The union made this statement in response to an incident where three flight attendants were fired for allegedly mocking passengers who could not speak English on a Cathay flight.
The incident, which went viral on social media, prompted criticism from Chinese state media and Hong Kong government officials, including the leader.
The union said it is expressing deepest regret for the "recent unpleasant incident" and said that Cathay's cabin crew members have always respected and treated all passengers equally.
The union also said that frontline aviation workers are facing a shortage of labor and resources, a significant increase in workload, and low salaries, which is causing low morale among the staff.
The company has apologized for the incident and its CEO said that Cathay takes a "zero tolerance" approach to violations of its rules and ethics.