Regional carrier Cathay Dragon closed with immediate effect

[reader]

From South China Morning Post

Nearly all Cathay Dragon staff will be made redundant under the job cuts announced by its parent company Cathay Pacific Airways on Wednesday, as chairman Patrick Healy apologised for the “great distress and anxiety” the move had caused.

Around 2,000 cabin crew, and about 550 pilots working under the Dragon brand were expected to lose their jobs, the airline said, adding that across the group in Hong Kong 4,000 cabin crew, 600 pilots, and 700 ground staff and head office positions would be cut.

Just 10 Dragon pilots had been kept on to train future Cathay Pacific pilots on new single-aisle jets, a source said.

Earlier, Cathay announced it would eliminate 8,500 job posts globally in a HK$2.2 billion (US$284 million) restructuring, and close Cathay Dragon with immediate effect. The move would lead to 5,900 staff being made redundant, with 5,300 of those based in Hong Kong.

Cathay Dragon operated 48 aircraft to 51 destinations and was the crown jewel in the airline group’s network flying to 23 mainland Chinese destinations. Dragon operated most of Cathay’s roughly 370 weekly flights to the mainland.

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From South China Morning Post

Singapore Airlines to resume direct flights to New York

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will resume non-stop flights to New York next month, this time flying to John F Kennedy Airport rather than nearby Newark Liberty International Airport, the company said on Tuesday.

The thrice-weekly non-stop flights from Changi Airport will start from November 9 using the Airbus A350-900. Flights back to Changi Airport will start two days later on November 11, SIA said. At a scheduled 18 hours, 40 minutes, this will be the world’s longest non-stop flight.

The national carrier suspended its non-stop service to Newark in March as

Covid-19

battered travel demand. Newark is about 15km from New York City, but is in the state of New Jersey.

SIA said that the flights would allow the airline to better accommodate a mix of passenger and cargo traffic “in the current operating climate”. It added that the non-stop services would also be supported by the growing number of passengers who are now able to transit at Changi Airport.

The resumption of flights to New York sees SIA operating two non-stop services to the US – the other being Los Angeles. The airline will continue to review its operations to the United States and assess the growing demand for air travel amid the ongoing recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic “before deciding to reinstate services to other points in the country”.

[GWMinUS]

I want to fly SIA from Los Angeles to Changi. And then on to Indonesia, hopefully to Denpasar!!!

[vinapu]

9 hours ago, GWMinUS said:

I want to fly SIA from Los Angeles to Changi. And then on to Indonesia, hopefully to Denpasar!!!

one day you will

In meantime, as poor substitute,  you can drive to your local mall, don't forget your mask

[PeterRS]

Cathay Dragon was named Dragonair before CX took it over. On the few times I flew it I found it one of the best airlines in Asia, way better than Cathay Pacific. Better ground staff, better cabins, better cabin crews, better food. Very sad that its staff are being let go.

[vinapu]

10 hours ago, PeterRS said:

.....way better than Cathay Pacific. Better ground staff, better cabins, better cabin crews, better food. .....

better everything costs money,  in times like now with no passengers no flights , no wonder they go under with no one to pay for those goodies

[captainmick]

11 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Cathay Dragon was named Dragonair before CX took it over. On the few times I flew it I found it one of the best airlines in Asia, way better than Cathay Pacific. Better ground staff, better cabins, better cabin crews, better food. Very sad that its staff are being let go.

Cathay Pacific first took a stake in Dragonair in 1990 at which time Cathay Pacific transferred some routes to Dragonair.  Dragonair became a wholly owned subsidiary in 2006 but it wasn’t until 2016 that the airline was rebranded Cathay Dragon.

[PeterRS]

3 hours ago, captainmick said:

Cathay Pacific first took a stake in Dragonair in 1990 at which time Cathay Pacific transferred some routes to Dragonair.  Dragonair became a wholly owned subsidiary in 2006 but it wasn’t until 2016 that the airline was rebranded Cathay Dragon.

I was not aware that Cathay Pacific played such a major role in the airline's history. I had thought it was largely independent until recently. I assume it must have had separate management. I did wonder why it added flat bed seats in its A330s. For an airline that only had regional routes, that seemed an expensive and unnecessary addition.

Is Hong Kong Airlines still operating? Wasn't it a division of Hainan Airlines, a great airline but it had severe financial problems even before the pandemic. HK Airlines offered great transPacific prices.

[captainmick]

4 hours ago, PeterRS said:

I was not aware that Cathay Pacific played such a major role in the airline's history. I had thought it was largely independent until recently. I assume it must have had separate management. I did wonder why it added flat bed seats in its A330s. For an airline that only had regional routes, that seemed an expensive and unnecessary addition.

Is Hong Kong Airlines still operating? Wasn't it a division of Hainan Airlines, a great airline but it had severe financial problems even before the pandemic. HK Airlines offered great transPacific prices.

Hong Kong Airlines is still in business and indeed a division of Hainan. Must be hurting as a result of the pandemic.

HK Express is a separate airline and was acquired by Cathay Pacific last year.  It is very much a low cost carrier.  I suspect Cathay Pacific management that the view that they just need one full service airline and one low cost.  Cathay Dragon sat between the two and the can now reallocate routes to Cathay Pacific or HK Express dependent on demand, revenue, business v leisure etc.

[vinapu]

11 hours ago, PeterRS said:

 I did wonder why it added flat bed seats in its A330s. For an airline that only had regional routes, that seemed an expensive and unnecessary addition.

 

perhaps it how Asian businessmen and upper classes like to travel even short haul, specially early in the morning and late evening ?