Hong Kong's Strict COVID-19 Rules Are Mentally Burdening, Cathay Pacific Pilot: I Can't Continue This

JAKARTA - One of Asia's largest airlines, Cathay Pacific, is facing opposition from pilots, saying Hong Kong's strict quarantine rules under its zero-COVID policy are endangering their mental health, leading to increased stress and resignations.

Cathay Pacific Airways last week fired three pilots who violated company rules by leaving their hotel room during a layover in Frankfurt, Germany and later testing positive for COVID-19.

The government responded by forcing more than 270 people, including schoolchildren linked to their families, into small quarters in state quarantine camps.

Meanwhile, some pilots declared themselves unfit to fly for their first assignment after being released.

This extreme example of pandemic-related precautions under China's zero-COVID policy highlights the difficult working conditions Cathay pilots face, all fully vaccinated, as other Asian countries slowly reopen.

Cathay's rivals, including Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia are beginning to relax strict layover policies, but the Hong Kong government is tightening the rules further in line with the mainland, hoping to convince Beijing to allow cross-border travel.

The tighter rules come amid growing fears the newly identified variant spreading in South Africa, which has also been found in places including Hong Kong and the UK, could lead to tighter travel restrictions.

"I don't think I can continue with this," a Cathay pilot who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters as quoted November 26.

"Only the stress of the potential quarantine of my family and friends is taking its toll."

Several current and recently departed Cathay pilots told Reuters morale was low and resignations were rising a year after many had their salaries permanently cut by up to 58 percent.

Extreme stress is a significant problem in an industry, where signs of psychological problems can make it difficult to get another job.

"What's the risk if I tell them I'm a little stressed out?" asked a pilot who has spent more than 200 nights locked in a hotel room away from Hong Kong since the pandemic began.

"Does it affect my health? And then you leave here and they ask if you've ever been laid off for psychological reasons?" he said.

The pilot also expressed frustration with the ambiguity of some of the government's pandemic-related rules. Pilots, for example, were asked to avoid 'unnecessary social contact' for three weeks, after returning to Hong Kong, but they were not given any time off as compensation.

Cathay acknowledged to Reuters in a statement that pilot resignations had risen beyond normal levels since late October.

"Unfortunately, the incident in Frankfurt has affected current sentiment," the airline said.

Hong Kong classifies many destinations including the United States and Britain as 'high risk', meaning Cathay pilots flying passengers entering from those places are subject to a two-week hotel quarantine.

For the airline's staff, Cathay began running a voluntary "closed bubble" list in February that involved five consecutive weeks of being locked in a hotel room, with no access to fresh air or the gym and then two weeks off at home.

"I did it to make money, because a 50 percent pay cut (last year) made life a lot more difficult," said a recently departed pilot who went through two closed bubbles.

"There are people who are currently in their 5th or 6th closed bubble," he continued.

Cathay said on Thursday that some inbound flights during the peak December demand season would be cancelled, indicating a lack of volunteers.

The airline said it was aware of the strain on its pilots and had bi-weekly dial-in sessions to share issues, as well as programs such as a peer-based pilot assistance network and offering extended leave.

Pilots who spoke to Reuters said they expect more resignations next year, when the transitional housing and school allowance ends.

Cathay said it would hire "several hundred" new pilots and restart its cadet program in the coming year.

To note, Hong Kong's strict rules saw FedEx Corp close its pilot base in the city last week, underscoring the region's dimming allure as a major logistics hub.

"I really feel the feelings of the people at Cathay. I'm really concerned about their mental health and how they are doing," said a FedEx pilot who had just left Hong Kong.