Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific cancels another 28 flights, blaming ‘higher than expected pilot absence’ due to seasonal illness

Hong Kong's primary airline, Cathay Pacific Airways, has announced the cancellation of an additional 28 flights this week. This is due to an unexpectedly high number of pilots falling ill. The cancellations have resulted in some customers experiencing delays in their return home. Prior to this, the airline had already cancelled 40 flights since Christmas Eve.

Despite the cancellations, Cathay Pacific maintains that their operations remain largely unaffected, with an increased number of flights operating over the holiday peak season. A recent search revealed that 28 flights between Hong Kong and six cities - Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Dubai, Delhi and Dhaka - have been cancelled for the upcoming five days.

In the lead-up to New Year's Eve, Cathay cancelled a significant number of flights, including long-haul ones to London and Amsterdam. The airline cited pilots taking sick leave as one of the reasons for the cancellations. Cathay Pacific stated that they proactively cancelled a small number of flights to ensure the successful delivery of their overall services. They extended their apologies to the passengers affected by these cancellations. A travel agency reported that the cancellations had impacted two of their tour groups. The airline informed them the night before departure and could not guarantee alternative flights. However, the airline managed to arrange flights for both groups on December 29, albeit with a few hours delay.