Cathay Pacific will close its cabin and crew bases in the US and lay off about 300 members of its staff, according to a report by Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post.
According to the report, Hong Kong’s flag carrier said its bases in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles were “no longer viable”.
The move affects 286 staff working across bases in the US, the report added.
The carrier will operate a “bare skeleton” flight schedule comprising 3 per cent of its normal capacity throughout April and May. It’s currently flying just two flights per week to Los Angeles, its only destination in the US at the moment.
Cathay Pacific said yesterday that it was “exploring all options” after its passenger traffic dropped by 90% in the month of March amid tightening travel restrictions and a decline in travel demand in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Its passenger numbers dropped to 302 a day earlier this week, when it normally expects to carry some 100,000 passengers on a typical day.
In April and May, the carrier will be operating a “bare skeleton” passenger flight schedule comprising 3% of its normal capacity.
