Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd has decided to shut down its pilot base in London, the company announced on Thursday. In addition, the airline is also considering the closure of its last remaining overseas pilot bases in the United States.
The London base was initially placed under review in July, following Cathay Pacific’s decision to close down bases in Australia, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand. Such closures are the result of the crippling effects that the coronavirus pandemic had on the company’s revenue.
Cathay Pacific will now shift its focus to its Hong Kong operations, where pilots have already taken pay cuts in order to retain their positions within the company. The London-based pilots, who have not taken to the skies since April 2020, will be afforded the opportunity to relocate to the Hong Kong base, the airline announced in a statement.
“The decision is not one we have taken lightly and does not reflect on the professionalism of the pilots based in London,” Cathay Pacific confirmed. Rather, this is the result of plummeting demand. Compared to the same period in 2019, Cathay reported a 98.4% decrease in passenger numbers in the month of July.
