Cathay Considers Closing London Pilot Base

Hong Kong national flag carrier Cathay Pacific is pondering the closure of its London pilots base, putting as many as 100 jobs at risk.

Following one of the worst years the aviation industry has ever seen, the Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)-based airline is looking to save costs wherever it can.

Having cut back on the number of flights it operated due to COVID-19 and the restrictions imposed on international travel, Cathay Pacific is now considering hiring a United Kingdom-based cockpit crew.

The move to shut down Cathay’s London pilots base follows a similar action the airline made in the spring when it decided to close down its pilot base in Toronto and Vancouver. Other pilot base closures followed in Australia New Zealand, and Germany. No decision has yet been made on what Cathay Pacific will do with its pilot bases in the United States.

With no domestic market to rely on, Cathay Pacific has always been focused on connecting Hong Kong to the rest of the world. Because of this global network, Cathay Pacific was unique in its number of overseas foreign crew bases. According to the aviation website AEROTIME HUB, Cathay Pacific has been in touch with its London-based crews and their union representatives about the possible closure.

Related Articles