Cathay Pacific offers to redeploy spare pilots to low-cost unit

Continuing to untangle itself from the legacy of Covid, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. offered its junior pilots the chance to redeploy to low-cost unit HK Express where they can work as first officers for about two years. 

Successful candidates will then be able to rejoin Cathay as first officers, the airline said in a statement Wednesday. It didn’t provide details on salaries. 

HK Express needs more frontline staff like pilots and cabin crew after returning to pre-Covid flying frequency. “This arrangement will further support our growth trajectory,” Chief Executive Officer Jeanette Mao said in the statement.

The Cathay group doesn’t expect to return to pre-pandemic passenger capacity levels until the end of 2024. It aims to be back at 70% by the end of this year.