Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said it will progressively enhance aircraft capacity in the coming months after the Hong Kong government repealed requirements forcing passengers and staff to quarantine in a hotel for three days upon their return to the city on Friday. The airline’s return to more regular operations was hampered by the onerous crew quarantine restrictions, which made rostering problematic.
Cathay Pacific’s passenger capacity was just 12.4% of pre-pandemic levels in July, while cargo capacity was 51%, thanks in part to the fact that cargo workers were no longer compelled to quarantine.
Cathay predicted that it would achieve 25% of pre-pandemic capacity by the end of the year when the passenger crew limits were abolished. “This, together with other operational complications, implies that capacity can only be progressively expanded over a period of many months,” the airline said in a statement on Saturday, without providing new capacity guidance. Cathay has stated that it aims to recruit an additional 4,000 people to satisfy operational needs over the next 18 to 24 months as travel recovers, after laying off over 6,000 people during the epidemic.
