Cathay Pacific fires two over protocol breaches

Cathay Pacific on Saturday announced that it has fired two aircrew members who are suspected of breaching Covid protocols.

The airline’s announcement comes a day after Chief Executive Carrie Lam summoned its chairman and CEO to express the government’s “strong dissatisfaction” over violations of the company’s isolation rules.

In a statement, the airline said five of its aircrew have tested positive for the Omicron Covid variant in recent days, adding that an investigation into these cases has “indicated a serious breach of protocols” by some of the crew members.

“Failure to comply with medical surveillance regulations will lead to disciplinary procedures. Two of the individuals are no longer employed by Cathay Pacific,” it said.

“The actions of these individuals are extremely disappointing, as they undermine the otherwise exemplary dedication and compliance shown by our over 10,000 aircrew.”

A Cathay Pacific aircrew worker is believed to have infected his father at a restaurant on Monday, as well as a diner who sat 10 metres away – after returning from the United States. The Cathay employee later tested positive for the highly-infectious Omicron variant.