The Chairman of Cathay Pacific, Patrick Healy, has apologized subsequently ii flight attendants broke quarantine rules and potentially caused an outbreak at a altogether party before this week. Several guests at the party have tested positive for COVID-19, triggering anger among Hong Kong citizens and authorities.

Altogether party backfires

As Hong Kong battles another COVID-19 outbreak, authorities are taking a very dim view of Monday evening'southward altogether party in Reserva Ibérica Tapas Bar & Eating place in Causeway Center in Wan Chai. Information technology comes as People's republic of china Pacific is under sustained fire for previously dodging the city's strict quarantine rules.

By all accounts, the altogether political party for Witman Hung Wai-man, Shenzhen Qianhai Authority'southward man in Hong Kong, was quite the shindig. Some 200 people attended to assist blow out the altogether candles, including the Secretary for Home Diplomacy Caspar Tsui Ying-wai, and senior officials.

An outbreak in Hong Kong has been traced to a China Pacific flight attendant who, along with 1 other, bankrupt the medical surveillance regulations after their duty. This triggered an outbreak at a Kowloon Tong restaurant - the starting indicate of the spread of omicron in Hong Kong. Both accept since been fired.

Unfortunately, some of the guests at the high-profile birthday party were also COVID positive - the event has rapidly morphed into a major scandal. For its office, Cathay'southward Chairman, Patrick Healy, has apologized for any rule-breaking attributed to the airline.

"Everything we do at Cathay Pacific is in the service of Hong Kong," said Mr Healy during the online mea culpa. "I am acutely aware a small number of our crew have brought the company into disrepute by breaking the self-isolation rules. We apologize publicly for the disruption and anguish caused."

https://vimeo.com/664748913/fef58b949a

Empty passenger flights passed off every bit cargo flights

Information technology's no secret COVID-xix has hitting People's republic of china Pacific extremely hard. This month, the airline is flight effectually 2% of its pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity. Tough quarantine rules for Cathay Pacific crew are making life even harder for the airline. Crews on passenger flights have to go through upward to ii weeks of quarantine after landing back in Hong Kong.

Cargo crews had been exempt from that rule. Keeping the supply lines open up has been essential, and Cathay Pacific has been operating around 20% of its pre-pandemic freight capacity. But Cathay Pacific stands accused of exploiting the quarantine pass given to cargo crews by designating empty passenger shipping returning domicile as cargo flights, allowing those crews to skip quarantine.

Whether or not that's accurate is unknown, but Cathay couldn't halt a moving ridge of fury from Beijing and local regime, pro-Beijing media, and embattled local residents. Those wayward flight attendants were the spark that lit the proverbial powder keg.

"Nosotros will have the legal activity once we take the total evidence," warned Hong Kong Principal Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday. Pro-Beijing media are calling for the criminal prosecution of the crew members and for Cathay Pacific's pinnacle direction to be held to account.

"The central government obviously believes that Cathay Pacific needs to take some responsibility for this," Emeritus Professor John Burns at Hong Kong University'south politics and public assistants department told The Financial Times.

Cathay-Pacific-Hong-Kong-Covid-legal

People's republic of china Pacific is only operating at a fraction of its 2019 levels. Photo: Red china Pacific

A minority should not tarnish the majority at Mainland china Pacific

In his scramble to fix relations with Beijing and Hong Kong authorities, Patrick Healy said non-compliance with quarantine and self-isolation was unacceptable. However, he notes a minority should not tarnish the professionalism of the bulk at People's republic of china Pacific.

Mr Healy best-selling separate investigations underway into the crew not-compliance issues and the rebadging of empty rider flights equally cargo flights. He says Cathay Pacific volition co-operate with any investigation.

The two flight attendants accept lost their jobs at the airline. Many of the other attendees at the political party may likewise notice shortly discover themselves in the unemployment lines.

Spirit Launches Indianapolis' 1st Ultra-Low-Cost New York Connection

Read Next

Most The Author

Andrew Curran (2271 Articles Published)

Pb Announcer - Australasia - A Masters level instruction and appetite for travel combines to brand Andrew an incredible aviation brain with decades of insight behind him. Working closely with airlines including Qantas and Virgin Commonwealth of australia, Andrew'due south first-hand noesis of the challenges and opportunities facing Australian airlines adds exciting depth and color to his work and sees him providing commentary to ABC News and more than. Based in Melbourne, Australia.

More From Andrew Curran