70 pc of staff join unpaid leave scheme: Cathay

HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific Airways said on Friday about 70 per cent of its staff have agreed to take unpaid leave to help Asia's third-largest carrier weather a slump in global travel demand.

The Hong Kong flagship airline is asking all of its 17,000 employees, including top management, to take unpaid leave ranging from one to four weeks in the next 12 months, with the most senior staff shouldering the largest deductions.

The plan, which is voluntary, is among a raft of measures that Cathay Pacific introduced last week after first quarter revenue, including turnover from its subsidiary Dragonair, suffered a 22 per cent year-on-year plunge.

Over 75 per cent of cabin crew and ground staff have already joined the scheme, Cathay Pacific said in a statement, while only 14 per cent of pilots have responded in the first five days of enrollment.

``This is an important initiative that will greatly help in efforts to preserve cash in the midst of the current downturn,'' said chief executive Tony Tyler.

Other cost-saving measures include slashing passenger and cargo capacity, cutting flights and grounding two more freighters.