Due to Wuhan Virus, Cathay Pacific is Asking 27K Employees to take Unpaid Leave

You would have known by now that the Wuhan virus situation seems to be worsening with each passing day, with the current death toll at 639 and the total number of infected people at 31,480.

Singapore currently has 30 confirmed cases and the condition of two of them have been said to have worsened over the past few days.

Unpaid Leave

In the midst of this, Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific is asking 27,000 of their employees to take up to three weeks of unpaid leave because the airline is facing a crisis.

Chief executive officer Augustus Tang said in a video message posted online, “I am hoping all of you will participate, from our front-line employees to our senior leaders, and to share in our current challenges.”

Cathay Pacific has been facing tough times since the political chaos and protests broke out in Hong Kong last year. The virus outbreak hasn’t been kind to them either as the number of tourists started falling and flights to and from China started getting cancelled.

In the video message, he also shared that Cathay Pacific was experiencing “one of the most difficult Chinese New Year holidays we have ever had” due to the virus.

I’m sure many would have known that this period would usually be one of the busiest times for regional airlines, but it isn’t because of the virus outbreak.

He then said, “And we don’t know how long it will last. With such an uncertain outlook, preserving our cash is now the key to protecting our business. I realise this is difficult to hear. And we may need to take further steps ahead. But by supporting the special leave scheme, you will be helping at our time of need.”

Other Measures Taken

Mr Tang goes on to talk about a few other measures that will be implemented to fight this crisis, one of which is asking suppliers to reduce their prices.

He said that the airline would make short-term adjustments to its capacity, and this includes their move to cut down flights to the Chinese mainland by 90%. They are also intending to reduce 30% of capacity within the next two months.

It is sad that the virus is causing a lot of disruptions to many people, regardless of whether they are infected or not.

We can only pray that this tough time will end soon and that everyone remains safe and healthy.