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Cathay Pacific
Hong KongTransport

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific chief hears at Singapore regional airline summit supply chain problems hitting carriers’ recovery

  • Asia-Pacific airlines summit in Singapore told ‘familiar headwinds’ such as high fuel prices and international tension causing problems for aviation industry
  • Singapore Airlines chief warns problems could affect operations, costs and growth in air travel for carriers in the region

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Cathay Pacific’s CEO Ronald Lam told the summit that as the carrier rebuilt its traditional routes back after the pandemic a “key consideration” was the balance of Hong Kong and mainland routes with Hong Kong and international services. Photo: Sam Tsang
Laura Westbrookin Singapore
Geopolitical tensions, economic concerns, high fuel prices and supply chain difficulties are among the biggest problems facing Asia-Pacific airlines such as Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways, industry executives and a global airline body have said at a Singapore summit.

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong told the meeting of top regional airline executives on Friday that he was encouraged by the rebound in demand, with international passenger capacity among Asia-Pacific carriers hitting about 73 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in September.

But he added that “familiar headwinds” were also returning, which also included rising inflation, international tensions, fuel costs and other problems.

“These could have a negative impact on our operations, our costs and the growth in air travel,” Goh, who represented the host airline, said at the opening of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines Assembly of Presidents.

Goh Choon Phong, the chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, has warned the return of “familiar headwinds” could hit Asia-Pacific airlines’ recovery. Photo: Bloomberg
Goh Choon Phong, the chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, has warned the return of “familiar headwinds” could hit Asia-Pacific airlines’ recovery. Photo: Bloomberg

Subhas Menon, the association’s director general, added that supply chain problems came up several times in discussions among the 14 member airlines on Friday as a major hurdle that needed to be tackled.

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