Cathay Pacific to gradually increase capacity after crew quarantine rules lifted

After the Hong Kong government on Friday loosened regulations forcing passenger crew to quarantine at a hotel for three days upon return to the city, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said it will progressively raise flight capacity in the following months.

Rostering was challenging because of the strict staff quarantine regulations, which also posed a significant barrier to the airline’s return to more routine operations. In the month of July, Cathay’s passenger capacity was just 12.4% of pre-pandemic levels despite the fact that its cargo capacity was at 51% due in part to the removal of the quarantine requirement for cargo crews.

Cathay predicted that it would achieve 25% of pre-pandemic capacity by the end of the year when the passenger crew limits were abolished. The crew members will still need to stay segregated in their hotel rooms during layovers outside of the city, the Hong Kong government announced on Friday.