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Thursday, Aug 14, 2025
Outside the box.
Cathay Pacific offers consecutive rounds of voluntary unpaid leave for cabin crew amid investment and profit updates
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific is opening applications for a second round of three-month voluntary unpaid leave for cabin crew from October to December 2025, alongside announcing modest profit growth and major aircraft orders.
Cathay Pacific Airways has opened applications for Hong Kong-based cabin crew to take up to three months of voluntary unpaid leave between October and December 2025.
The offer follows an earlier round of similar leave between July and September this year, marking the first time since the pandemic that the carrier has implemented the measure for two consecutive quarters.
The airline confirmed that the scheme is voluntary, short-term, and intended to give employees greater flexibility, particularly during the year-end holiday period.
Management emphasised that the arrangement is part of a longstanding practice allowing staff to manage personal needs while maintaining operational requirements.
Cathay Pacific announced the initiative on 1 August, ahead of its half-year financial results, which reported a 1.1 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit to HK$3.65 billion (US$465 million).
The company also confirmed an order for 14 Boeing 777-9 aircraft, expanding its overall long-term investment commitments to over HK$100 billion, covering the purchase of 100 aircraft.
The airline last implemented voluntary unpaid leave programmes for pilots and cabin crew in 2020 during the pandemic and previously introduced shorter leave schemes in 2009 during an economic downturn.
Under normal conditions, unpaid leave requests are considered individually and typically limited to one month.
Cabin crew members noted that the current offer, communicated through an internal memo, is more accessible and for a longer duration than usual, making it popular among staff.
Some employees indicated plans to take extended holidays as a result.
Cathay Pacific recruited nearly 5,000 cabin crew globally in 2024, bringing total headcount to over 30,000.
Chairman Patrick Healy stated that the period of unusually high recruitment and training following the pandemic has ended, with staffing levels now aligned to long-term growth plans.
An analyst report issued after the results downgraded the airline’s stock rating from "hold" to "reduce," forecasting a 9 to 12 per cent decline in recurring profits through 2027.
The report cited anticipated lower passenger yields on expanded long-haul routes and potential softness in cargo demand due to trade tensions and increased belly-hold capacity from restored passenger services, which could exert downward pressure on freight rates.
The offer follows an earlier round of similar leave between July and September this year, marking the first time since the pandemic that the carrier has implemented the measure for two consecutive quarters.
The airline confirmed that the scheme is voluntary, short-term, and intended to give employees greater flexibility, particularly during the year-end holiday period.
Management emphasised that the arrangement is part of a longstanding practice allowing staff to manage personal needs while maintaining operational requirements.
Cathay Pacific announced the initiative on 1 August, ahead of its half-year financial results, which reported a 1.1 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit to HK$3.65 billion (US$465 million).
The company also confirmed an order for 14 Boeing 777-9 aircraft, expanding its overall long-term investment commitments to over HK$100 billion, covering the purchase of 100 aircraft.
The airline last implemented voluntary unpaid leave programmes for pilots and cabin crew in 2020 during the pandemic and previously introduced shorter leave schemes in 2009 during an economic downturn.
Under normal conditions, unpaid leave requests are considered individually and typically limited to one month.
Cabin crew members noted that the current offer, communicated through an internal memo, is more accessible and for a longer duration than usual, making it popular among staff.
Some employees indicated plans to take extended holidays as a result.
Cathay Pacific recruited nearly 5,000 cabin crew globally in 2024, bringing total headcount to over 30,000.
Chairman Patrick Healy stated that the period of unusually high recruitment and training following the pandemic has ended, with staffing levels now aligned to long-term growth plans.
An analyst report issued after the results downgraded the airline’s stock rating from "hold" to "reduce," forecasting a 9 to 12 per cent decline in recurring profits through 2027.
The report cited anticipated lower passenger yields on expanded long-haul routes and potential softness in cargo demand due to trade tensions and increased belly-hold capacity from restored passenger services, which could exert downward pressure on freight rates.
