Loss-making Cathay Pacific makes biggest job cuts in 20 yrs

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said on Monday it was cutting 600 jobs, its biggest headcount reduction in almost two decades, as it seeks to return to profitability in an industry battered by falling ticket prices.

In addition to cheaper tickets—the result of low fuel prices that led airlines to increase capacity—premium Asian carriers like Cathay and Singapore Airlines Ltd have had to contend with competition from mainland Chinese airlines that are expanding international routes aggressively.

The job cuts are the first step in a three-year reorganisation plan announced this year by Hong Kong’s flagship carrier. It posted an annual loss last year, its first since 2008, and is expected to be in the red again this year. Singapore Airlines, which made a loss in its latest quarter, has also announced a strategic review.

“We have had to make tough but necessary decisions for the future of our business and our customers,” new Cathay Pacific chief executive Rupert Hogg said in a statement.

The cuts represent 25% of management staff and 18% of non-managerial positions at its Hong Kong head office. The company had some 33,700 employees globally as of March.

Singapore-based UOB Kay Hian analyst K. Ajith said these were the largest job cuts at Cathay since the 1998 Asian financial crisis.