Cathay Pacific Airways will start a “comprehensive review” of its workforce, a move expected to impact its operations outside of Hong Kong, according to the airline’s head of human resources. After the loss of 600 jobs at the airline’s head office, changes in job structures are expected overseas, the company said. But it is unclear whether this will lead to further redundancies or just a change in job responsibilities for staff members in the company’s foreign offices.
Tom Owen, the airline’s director of human resources, announced in the company’s in-house staff magazine: “We’re starting a comprehensive review of our outports – how they work with HQ (headquarters), which will have an impact on their own organisational structures.” The review would be led by the company’s human resources and transformation office.
The airline’s human resource chief also confirmed that the earlier restructuring of its head office was over. The major move in June resulted in the loss of many positions, the biggest round of job cuts by Hong Kong’s premier airline in 20 years.
Cathay Pacific Airways has a workforce of 26,674 – including 7,600 staff across more than 100 overseas locations – according to its annual and sustainability reports. Owen stated it had been a “tough few months” following the local reorganisation. Slimming down the workforce is part of a three-year plan by Cathay to turn itself around from losses. The hundreds of job cuts cost the airline HK$300 million in redundancy and restructuring payments.
CEO Rupert Hogg also said in the magazine that despite “difficult” times, growth and fleet expansion would continue. He said he was proud of the company’s status as “Hong Kong’s home airline”, but he was aware that this should not be taken for granted. He also acknowledged customer complaints. “But we are changing for the better,” Hogg said.
Source: SCMP
