Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has vowed to listen more to passengers’ views in the wake of controversial service-related incidents that cast the airline in a negative light.
CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por said on Wednesday that Cathay would continue to improve its service unrelentingly.
“We will continue to listen to our customers’ voices and we will address their various pain points. We are committed to making improvements,” he said.
“We will continue to make an effort and constantly improve our services.”
Lam insisted Cathay’s service had been steadily progressing, noting the carrier had climbed back among the world’s top five airlines in the latest Skytrax awards, which identified the top 100 based on data from an online traveller satisfaction survey.
The carrier was also in May named the third best premium airline in another company’s rankings, Airline Ratings. This was up six places from last year.
Lam’s pledge followed the carrier recently hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Last month, a toilet door came off on a 16-hour Cathay Airbus A350 flight to New York from Hong Kong just minutes after take-off. Photographs circulating online showed a female flight attendant in a cabin crew seat with her hand holding the detached door.
The incident was quickly followed by a video circulating online showing a Cathay staff member throwing suitcases from a flight of stairs and violating the airline’s baggage handling procedures. The airline apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused.
Cathay later confirmed an employee from its ground-handling service provider was involved in the incident, saying she was removed from her current position, pending the results of the investigation.
In June, Cathay’s budget airline, HK Express, fired a ground crew member over the handling of a passenger’s Portuguese egg tarts.
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Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific launches probe after video shows staff member throwing luggage
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific launches probe after video shows staff member throwing luggage
A viral posting on Instagram included a picture of several people digging into three boxes of Portuguese egg tarts from fast food chain KFC, with a caption saying they were from a passenger who tried to bring the sweet treats on board.
According to the airline, the ground crew member, hired by an outside company, violated the company’s proper procedures for handling food left behind by passengers.
Last month, the budget carrier apologised for its “insufficiency” and promised to boost staff training after two visually impaired passengers were ordered off a flight in Hong Kong.
The airline has offered compensation to the pair, but a campaign group has demanded an inquiry into the controversy.
Additional reporting by Oscar Liu
