Why did Hong Kong pilots switch to the mainland on a large scale?

According to Hong Kong media, with Cathay Pacific Airlines in Hong Kong cutting its employees' salaries and benefits to reduce costs, Chinese mainland airlines are taking this opportunity to seek Cathay Pacific pilots to move to the mainland.

According to the Hong Kong website 65438+231October 23rd, some sources revealed that about 200 pilots of Cathay Pacific are considering job-hopping to mainland airlines.

According to the report, this has made recruiters of major state-owned and private airlines in China take more actions to attract Hong Kong pilots who have no illusions about salary reduction and want a better lifestyle.

In the first half of this year, Cathay Pacific's net loss reached HK$ 2.05 billion. The company began to implement a three-year transformation plan to reduce expenses and control costs. So far, Cathay Pacific has announced 600 layoffs.

Last month, Cathay Pacific pilots were told that they would face measures such as freezing salaries, adjusting pensions and drastically reducing housing subsidies.

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Deborah White, marketing manager of Ritchie Airlines, said: "Before last month, few Cathay Pacific pilots asked about the job-hopping to Continental Airlines or applied. But in recent weeks,

In recent years, we have found that the number of people interested in this field has greatly increased, reaching hundreds. The company is recruiting pilots for mainland airlines and will hold a briefing on the recruitment of pilots in Hong Kong at the end of this month.

According to the report, among the 250 applicants, at least 200 experienced Cathay Pacific pilots showed interest in switching to mainland airlines.

According to the report, among the 3,265 pilots of Cathay Pacific, the average turnover rate of resignees and retirees this year remains at "about" 2.5%. The company said that this figure is within the controllable range.

However, the Hong Kong Airline Crew Association claims that its data is twice that of Cathay Pacific.

Chris Bibby, secretary general of the association, said: "There is no doubt that Cathay Pacific's cancellation of the housing allowance agreement will force pilots to jump ship."

However, as Cathay Pacific seeks to cut costs, changing pilots may be beneficial to it.

The company said that Cathay Pacific's brand, quality and safety reputation made its pilots one of the "most wanted" talents of other airlines.

According to Langridge Airlines, Hong Kong pilots are very popular in the market because their flight licenses come from reputable schools and they are familiar with this kind of flight.

According to the report, the annual after-tax income of foreign pilots who switched to Continental Airlines is expected to be as high as $280,000, an increase of about $80,000. Other benefits include a lower cost of living in the mainland and a three-month holiday.

Jose Jimenez, a pilot recruiter for Beijing Capital Airlines, said: "We forgot to motivate pilots and aviation personnel." He said that he expected more Hong Kong pilots to jump ship to the mainland.

He added that another factor that attracts pilots is reliable work shifts, which can ensure that they have more leisure time and time to spend with their families.

Jimenez said: "We are in an early stage. If Cathay Pacific does not correct this retrogression in employees' wages and benefits-for example, canceling housing benefits-then they will see more pilots jump ship to the mainland. "

People long for a better life.