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| Cathay Pacific aircraft are seen parked on the tarmac at the airport, following the outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Hong Kong, China March 5, 2020.(File photo by= REUTERS/Tyrone Siu) |
[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자] Cathay Pacific Airways said it will offer a voluntary scheme to its Hong Kong-based pilots who are approaching retirement age to leave the group early, in a continued effort to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline said in an email to Reuters on Saturday (Aug 1) it is looking at different ways to reduce costs in the medium term, given reduced passenger demand with no immediate signs of improvement.Cathay has already taken short-term measures including executive pay cuts and two rounds of voluntary special leave scheme. Pilots aged 50 and above, depending on the retirement age outlined in their contract as 55 or 65 respectively, are eligible to apply for the early retirement scheme, the carrier said. Pilots aged 58 and above at its regional arm Cathay Dragon are also eligible.
The group was looking to cut costs, streamline marketing, consolidate pilot contracts and move veteran pilots to cheaper contracts, sources have told Reuters. Cathay last month warned it expected to report a HKS$9.9 billion (US$1.28 billion) loss for the six months ending Jun 30, including impairment charges on 16 planes. The estimated loss would be Cathay's biggest half-yearly loss in at least a decade
