Cathay Pacific fires staff for discrimination

STORY: Cathay Pacific has fired three flight attendants amid an outcry in Chinese media over alleged discrimination.

Wednesday’s (May 24) announcement comes after a passenger accused workers of bias against non-English speakers.

A traveler on a flight from Chengdu said attendants mocked others asking for a mat instead of a blanket in English.

This drew criticism from Chinese state media, which accused the airline of “worshipping” foreigners.

Cathay Pacific CEO Ronald Lam issued an apology on Wednesday:

“Cathay Pacific Airways will maintain a zero-tolerance approach to serious violations of company regulations and ethical standards by individual employees. Similar incidents will no longer be tolerated.

The airline said it fired the employees after an internal investigation.

Lam further said he would lead a task force to conduct a comprehensive review of staff training.

The dispute has also attracted political heavyweights.

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee vowed that such an incident could not happen again.

“I am heartbroken by the disrespectful words and actions of some cabin crew members towards mainland Chinese passengers. Such behavior has caused great distress to both the people of Hong Kong and mainland China, undermining Hong Kong’s long-standing culture and values ​​of respect, courtesy and inclusiveness.

Hong Kong’s flagship carrier has been trying to recover from a tough time after being hit hard by a slowdown during the health crisis.

The Cathay flight attendants union did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the layoffs.