Hong Kong based carrier Cathay Pacific has been forced to cancel a further 28 flight services this week after seasonal illnesses caused reductions to its operational crew contingent.
Last week the airline moved to cancel several year-end flights due to the depletion in its flight crew ranks.
The seasonal illnesses exacerbated the problem with diminished flight crew resources in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a union representing the airlines operational crews, staff layoffs attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic had left the airline with only 52% of the complement of captains and first officers which it held prior to the global pandemic.
Flight cancellations to 6 cities
The airline subsequently called off approximately 40 flights since Christmas Eve, and is now moving to cancel a further 28 services.
A report by the Bangkok Post reveals that services across the week will be affected between Hong Kong and Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Dubai, Delhi, and Dhaka.
The carrier confirmed that the flight crew taking sick leave was one of the reasons for the round of flight cancellations last week.
In a statement issued on Monday Cathay Pacific said “We have chosen to proactively cancel a small number of flights in order to ensure the successful delivery of our overall services.”
The carrier noted that the overall number of cancellations which have occurred since mid December account for less than 1% of all passenger flight operations for the airline.
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