2023 Cathay Pacific discrimination scandal

Last updated
2023 Cathay Pacific discrimination scandal
Cathay Pacific - B-LAE - Airbus A330-342 - MSN 850 - VGHS.jpg
The Airbus A330-300 aircraft involved in the scandal
Date21 May 2023
LocationFlag of the People's Republic of China.svg  People's Republic of China
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong

The Cathay Pacific discrimination scandal (also known ironically as the Carpet Airline Discrimination Scandal) refers to a series of alleged discrimination incidents by the flight attendants against multiple passengers aboard Cathay Pacific Flight 987, flying from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in mainland China to Hong Kong International Airport in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on May 21, 2023.

Contents

Timeline

On 23 May 2023, an audio recording was posted to the internet in which Cathay Pacific flight attendants could allegedly be heard making fun of a passenger based on their lack of English proficiency. Later that day, after being criticized by Chinese media and tens of thousands of netizens, Cathay Pacific apologised on Chinese social media sites for their flight attendants’ discriminatory actions against non-English speakers, by saying that the airlines has "suspended the flight attendants concerned and launched an internal investigation", where any "inappropriate words and deeds" that violated its rules and professional ethics would be dealt with seriously once confirmed. [1] The company emphasized the importance of the incident and promised to conduct a serious investigation. They reiterated their commitment to providing high-quality service to their passengers. [2]

However, many mainland netizens considered it to be 'insincere' and 'painless' because the statement was not stamped. Some even changed Cathay Pacific's English name to 'Carpet Airlines' as a form of ridicule. [3] [4]

As for public reaction, many mainland Chinese netizens were not convinced by Cathay's apology. Some questioned why the apology was posted from Beijing instead of Hong Kong. Others criticised Cathay for only posting the apology in simplified Chinese on Weibo, and demanded Cathay to publish a global apology in both Chinese and English on their official website, Facebook, and Instagram. [5]

On the 23rd, the poster of the original Xiaohongshu post stated that the director of customer service at Cathay Pacific's headquarters had contacted her to further understand the situation. She insisted that her intention was to ensure an apology from the flight attendants for their discriminatory remarks and for Cathay Pacific to apologize to any passengers who had an unpleasant experience. She stated she would not delete her posts until the flight attendants apologized. [6] [7]

In the afternoon, under the pressure of public opinion, Cathay Pacific issued a statement on Weibo again, 'formally apologizing' for the incident. The statement stated that the crew members involved in the incident had been suspended, an internal investigation was underway, and the results would be made public within three days. [8] [ better source needed ]

Due to the rising discontentment, Cathay Pacific apologised for the third time, saying that the airlines dismissed the three flight attendants who made inappropriate acts against non-English speaking passengers. CEO Ronald Lam apologized on behalf of the airlines and promised that he himself will lead a cross-departmental working group to conduct a comprehensive review and re-examination of the airline's service process, personnel training and related systems to avoid similar incidents from happening again. [9]

On the afternoon of the 23rd, a user posted personal attacks towards the poster of the original complaint post in Cantonese on Xiaohongshu, calling the incident as "a small matter that reveals the fragility of many." The user cussed the whistleblower for "shamelessly recording audio," and pointed out that "one of the recorded flight attendants was not from Hong Kong and that English was not her mother tongue", asking "why do you guys demand her to use Mandarin". In stark contrast to the Cathay Pacific's official apology statement, the post raised doubts among netizens about Cathay Pacific's sincerity in handling the incident. [10] [11]

The whistleblower later posted a thread on Xiaohongshu in response to the insults, stating that she "never mentioned the nationality of the flight attendants or crew in the original thread". However, the cussing post stated the nationality and mother tongue of them. Therefore, the whistleblower suggested that the user who posted the insulting thread "is very likely to be" one of the involved flight attendants and criticized the user for still not realizing the discriminatory elements in the recording and the malicious intention expressed. [12]

Reactions

On 24 May 2023, when being asked of the incident, Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said the incident had "hurt the feelings of compatriots in Hong Kong and the mainland". And at this time, CEO Ronald Lam apologized again, but in Mandarin, by saying that he will personally lead a taskforce to conduct a review into the company's code of conduct. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathay Pacific</span> Flag carrier and largest airline of Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CPA), more widely known as Cathay Pacific, is the flag carrier of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and its subsidiaries have scheduled passenger and cargo services to over 190 destinations and more than 60 countries worldwide including codeshares and joint ventures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathay Dragon</span> Defunct regional airline of Hong Kong (1985–2020)

Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited, also known as Cathay Dragon (國泰港龍航空) and until 2016, Dragonair, was a Hong Kong-based international regional airline, with its corporate headquarters and main hub at Hong Kong International Airport. In the final year before it ceased flying, the airline operated a scheduled passenger network to around 50 destinations in 14 countries and territories across Asia. Additionally, the airline had three codeshares on routes served by partner airlines. It had an all-Airbus fleet of 35 aircraft, consisting of A320s, A321s, and A330s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong International Airport</span> Main commercial airport serving Hong Kong; located in Chek Lap Kok

Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport located on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predecessor, the former Kai Tak Airport.

AHK Air Hong Kong Limited is an all-cargo airline based in Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, with its main hub at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline operates an express freight network to 13 destinations in nine countries, including China, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. It has a fleet of Airbus A300-600F General Freighters, which the airline was the launch customer of this new variant. Its head office is located on the fourth floor of the South Tower of Cathay Pacific City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-eye flight</span> Flight scheduled to depart at night and arrive the next morning

In commercial aviation, a red-eye flight refers to a flight that departs at night and arrives the next morning, especially when the total flight time is insufficient for passengers to get a full night's sleep.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviation history of Hong Kong</span>

The Aviation history of Hong Kong began in Sha Tin on 18 March 1911, when Belgian pilot Charles den Born successfully took off on an aeroplane retrospectively named Spirit of Sha Tin. A replica of the aircraft is hung at the new Chep Lap Kok airport above the arrivals hall.

Hong Kong Express Airways Limited (HKE), commonly known as Hong Kong Express or HK Express, is a Hong Kong–based low-cost airline fully owned by Cathay Pacific Airways. It provides scheduled air service to 27 destinations in Asia, including Cambodia, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The airline's main hub at Hong Kong International Airport uses a fleet that consists exclusively of the Airbus A320 and A321 family. The company slogan is Gotta Go.

<i>Miss Macao</i> Hong Kong commercial seaplane; hijacked by pirates in 1948

Miss Macao (Chinese: 澳門小姐; Sidney Lau: O3 Moon4 Siu2 Je2) was a Catalina seaplane owned by Cathay Pacific and operated by subsidiary Macau Air Transport Company. On 16 July 1948 it was involved in the first hijacking of a commercial aircraft. Piracy for robbery and ransom was the motive. The aircraft crashed after the pilot was shot while resisting the attackers, leaving one of the hijackers as the sole survivor of the incident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Airways</span> Flag carrier of British Hong Kong

Hong Kong Airways (HKA) was a flag carrier of British Hong Kong during the late 1940s and 1950s.

Asia Miles is a loyalty and frequent-flyer program launched by Cathay Pacific. Launched in February 1999, it allows members to earn miles by making different purchases with co-branded credit cards or on partnered flights, hotels, dining, financial services, retail, and technology products and services. Membership is free and open to individuals aged two or above.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1954 Cathay Pacific Douglas DC-4 shootdown</span> 1954 airliner shootdown over the South China Sea

The 1954 Cathay Pacific Douglas DC-4 shootdown was an incident on 23 July 1954, when a Cathay Pacific Airways C-54 Skymaster airliner was shot down by People's Liberation Army Air Force fighter aircraft. The event occurred off the coast of Hainan Island, where the plane was en route from Bangkok to Hong Kong, killing 10 of 19 passengers and crew on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathay City</span> Headquarters of Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific City, often referred as Cathay City, is the headquarters of Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flag-carrying airline. It is located at Hong Kong International Airport, on the south side.

Cathay Pacific operates a fleet of narrow-body and wide-body passenger aircraft composed of the Airbus A321neo, Airbus A330, Airbus A350 XWB, and Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline also operates a fleet of 20 Boeing 747 freighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Airport Services</span>

Hong Kong Airport Services Limited(HAS) was founded in 1995 and began operations in July 1998 with the opening of Hong Kong International Airport. It employs approximately 3,100 people and owns 3,000 ground-support equipment and vehicles. It is owned by Cathay Pacific, with offices located at Cathay City, Cathay House, Passenger Terminal Building and Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal.

In January 2012, Peking University professor Kong Qingdong made televised remarks suggesting that many Hongkongers were disloyal to China and still harboured a colonial mentality. Kong Qingdong called Hongkongers "dogs" in response to an online video posted about a mainland Chinese child eating on the subway, which is prohibited by MTR regulations. This prompted a series of campaigns against Kong Qingdong in Hong Kong. About 150 people gathered at the Central Government's Liaison Office on 22 January to protest Kong's remarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shekou Cruise Center</span> Passenger ship terminal in Shenzhen, China

Shekou Cruise Center, also known as the Shekou Ferry Terminal and the Shekou Prince Bay Cruise Homeport, is a cruise terminal located in Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China. It runs direct ferry connections from Shenzhen to destinations across the Pearl River Delta. It is operated by China Merchants Shekou Ferry Terminal Service Co., Ltd. Ferry operations are operated by Xunlong Ferries, TurboJET and CKS Ferries. It can also handle cruise ships docking and replenishment, and is the first cruise terminal in China. This facility replaces the former Shekou Passenger Terminal and is part of a larger urban renewal and redevelopment along Shenzhen Bay.

John Robert Slosar is an American-born Hong Kong businessman. He was the chairman and CEO of Cathay Pacific and chairman of Swire Pacific.

Greater Bay Airlines Company Limited (GBA), commonly known as Greater Bay Airlines, is a Hong Kong-based carrier established in 2020. The company's inaugural passenger flight was conducted in July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Ng</span> Hong Kong politician

Carol Ng Man-yee is a Hong Kong political figure, former chairman of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, and former member of the Labour Party. She has been actively involved in labor movements over the years, including the "Baggage Gate" incident and the establishment of the British Airways Union. She ran in the 2020 pro-democracy primaries for the Labour Party, losing in the New Territories West constituency. Ng was arrested on 6 January 2021, accused of violating the Hong Kong national security law, after participating in the 2020 Legislative Council primary election, and has been remanded in custody since the end of February.

The 2007 CUHK student newspaper pornographic section incident refers to a series of incidents that occurred in May 2007 when the CUHK Student Newspaper, a newspaper owned by the Chinese University of Hong Kong Students' Union, was reported by newspapers for its "pornographic section." The incident mainly focused on students' attitudes towards sex, the handling and educational methods of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. In addition to affecting the subsequent publication of the CUHK Student Newspaper, this incident also involved the next Hong Kong Internet culture and self-censorship of newspapers. It prompted the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to implement the "Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance" review.

References

  1. ↑ Master, Farah. "Cathay Pacific apologises after passenger alleges discrimination". Reuters. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "網民舉報空服員歧視非英語乘客 國泰指嚴肅調查處理". 東網. 2023-05-23. Archived from the original on 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  3. ↑ 李靖棠 (2023-05-23). "國泰航空歧視英文能力與陸客遭砲轟 涉案空服已被停職". TVBS. Archived from the original on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  4. ↑ 吳連哲 (2023-05-24). "遭爆歧視「破英語」乘客 國泰航空3度道歉、開除3空服員". 台視新聞網. Archived from the original on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  5. ↑ 許祺安 (2023-05-23). "國泰歧視風波後急發簡體字聲明 內地網民不買單：中英文全網道歉". 香港01. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  6. ↑ "國泰涉歧視風波│舉報者小紅書公開與國泰交涉經過 「要歧視者知道有後果的」". 星島日報. 2023-05-23. Archived from the original on 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  7. ↑ 朱加樟 (2023-05-23). "國泰歧視風波：疑似舉報者述交涉經過：要求後艙三位空姐公開道歉". 香港01. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  8. ↑ "国泰航空声明". 微博. Archived from the original on 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  9. ↑ "Cathay Pacific fires 3 cabin crew members accused of insulting non-English speaking passengers". South China Morning Post. Today online. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  10. ↑ 小紅薯646BDBAD. "就CS987航班一事". 小紅書. Retrieved 2023-05-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "國泰空中服務員工會：坊間流傳對員工的錯誤指控 希望獲公司支持". Now 新聞 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2023-05-24. Archived from the original on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  12. ↑ "國泰歧視風波｜涉事空服員疑鬧舉報者錄音無恥 官媒籲港人勿歧視操國語內地客". 有線新聞 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  13. ↑ Cai, Derek (25 May 2023). "Cathay Pacific fires cabin crew over discrimination claim". UK Government. BBC. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.