Hong Kong Airlines employees made redundant this week are demanding transparency and fair severance packages in the wake of the troubled airline’s decision to dismiss more than 160 people in a cost-cutting move.

Nearly 80 airline staff members attended closed-door sessions with company representatives on Thursday to get details of the lay-offs and their expected payouts.

The company, which earlier this month said it planned to eliminate 400 jobs, notified employees on Wednesday that they would be made redundant after the airline’s “recent review of its operational requirements”.

This came as a Bloomberg report suggested the airline’s parent company, HNA Group, could be taken over by the mainland authority, which is likely to sell off its airline assets. HNA currently holds a number of carriers, including Hainan Airlines.

Carol Ng, chairwoman of the Confederation of Trade Unions, said the one-month notice to Hong Kong Airlines’ employees would mean their lay-offs come into effect next month.

There were also concerns over how severance payouts would be calculated, with many believing they would take into account base salary only, she said.

Flight attendants, for example, have a starting wage of HK$7,800 (US$1,000), but additional pay based on flying hours means their monthly wages are typically closer to HK$20,000.

But in an email to the Post on Thursday, the airline said its severance formula would be based on employees’ average total daily wage – including flying hours – for the 12 months ending on January 31.

Workers also complained they could not access their work emails and internal company profiles, where details on salary pay and overtime hours are stored, Ng said.

“Some of the crew have been working for 10 years or more,” she said. “They believe they’ve made the company successful, and the criteria for choosing the ones to make redundant is not clear.”

The move comes as many Hong Kong businesses are facing drastic downturns amid the continued outbreak of the coronavirus, which causes the disease known as Covid-19.

The virus, which originated in central China, has infected 66 patients and caused two fatalities in Hong Kong as of Thursday afternoon.

Hong Kong Airlines also announced on Wednesday that it would be getting rid of in-flight meals and amenities ranging from blankets to pillows in its bid to save costs.

The latest moves come as the airline has been battered by financial woes exacerbated by reduced tourist demand amid months of civil unrest in Hong Kong.