Advertisement
Cathay Pacific
Hong KongHong Kong Economy

Exclusive | Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways set to close Toronto cabin crew base, with up to 120 jobs at risk

  • Flight attendants told of changes when staff were invited to meet airline at a hotel in Toronto’s airport to clarify their future
  • Carrier says it is reviewing next possible steps with affected cabin crew

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The closure affects up to 120 crew. Photo: Edward Wong
Danny Lee
Cathay Pacific Airways is closing its Toronto cabin crew base, saying it is not commercially viable, putting dozens of jobs at risk.

Flight attendants were told of the “disappointing and unsettling” changes when staff were invited to meet airline representatives at a hotel at Toronto International Airport to clarify their future, according to an internal memo obtained by the Post.

“The commercial viability of the Toronto cabin crew base has been a concern to us for some time,” the memo said, adding that the facility was now judged unsustainable.

Advertisement

Cathay Pacific said in a statement that no job cuts had been decided yet and it was reviewing with the affected 120 cabin crew members the next possible steps. It said it had “no current plans” to close other flight attendant bases.

Cathay has embarked on a cost-cutting effort. Photo: EPA
Cathay has embarked on a cost-cutting effort. Photo: EPA
Advertisement

“As part of our ongoing business review, we have made a decision to close down our Toronto cabin crew base,” a spokeswoman said.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x