Cathay Pacific Airways has terminated the employment of three flight attendants following a complaint of discrimination against non-English speaking passengers. The decision to fire them came after an audio recording of the cabin crew allegedly insulting passengers circulated widely.
The Hong Kong-based airline initiated an internal investigation and issued an apology for the “widespread concern” caused by the incident.
According to the BBC, Chinese official media reported that the airline was displaying a condescending attitude towards mainland Chinese passengers.
A passenger who was flying from Chengdu to Hong Kong claimed that the cabin crew mocked customers who requested a “carpet” instead of a “blanket.”
In the audio recording, a flight attendant can be heard laughing as she tells her colleagues, “If you can’t say blanket in English, you can’t have it. A carpet is on the floor.”
The incident has sparked extensive outrage on Chinese social media platforms, with some users calling for a boycott of Cathay Pacific.
Hong Kong CEO John Lee expressed that the incident had “hurt the feelings of compatriots in Hong Kong and the mainland.”
Ronald Lam, the CEO of the airline, apologized for the incident and stated that he would personally lead a team to investigate the company’s code of conduct.
Cathay Pacific has been striving to recover its profitability as the territory eases the final lingering pandemic restrictions.
The airline was severely impacted by strict quarantine measures and border closures, resulting in significant job cuts in 2020 during the height of the pandemic.
Given its heavy reliance on the Chinese market, Cathay Pacific cannot afford to alienate China, as stated by Greg Waldron, an aviation industry analyst. He mentioned that China is a key market for the company in terms of inbound travel to Hong Kong and transit traffic for Cathay’s wider network.
Several companies, including H&M, Nike, Adidas, and Puma, have faced backlash in China due to cultural insensitivity or political disputes amplified by social media.
In 2021, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warned that anyone offending the Chinese people should be prepared to face consequences.
The relationship between Hong Kong and China has been strained since 2019 when major protests erupted in response to Beijing’s proposal to allow extradition of suspects from Hong Kong to mainland China for trial.
In response to the protests, China implemented a controversial national security law to suppress dissent. Beijing argued that the measure was necessary to ensure stability in the city, while critics viewed it as an attempt to crush dissent and undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Since the law came into effect, more than 250 people have been detained, with around 30 of them being convicted.
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