OREANDA-NEWS. December 12, 2012. Cathay Pacific Airways announced salary increases averaging 2% for eligible Hong Kong staff in 2013. Additionally, the carrier will also provide a discretionary 13th month payment to those same staff in their December salary payment, reported the press-centre of Cathay Pacific.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar said: “2012 has been an extremely challenging year, just as we said it would be. Even so, I believe that the Cathay team has performed admirably.

“Our pay philosophy takes into account both the job market and the state of our business performance. Commercial aviation is always volatile so our business performance can vary greatly from year to year. We do appreciate the professionalism of the Cathay team and try to do the best that we can for them. Certainly, when we have achieved good results, we share these with staff in the form of salary increases and our profit sharing scheme.

“And when times are tough, even very tough, Cathay Pacific has provided salary increases to eligible staff. The year of SARS, and during the years of the global financial crisis, we still reviewed our salaries.

“Worldwide, the aviation industry follows a pattern of making staff redundant during downturns. At Cathay Pacific, we have not followed this trend. We have invested in building the aviation skills and service culture of our team and consider it our priority to keep the team together.

“Our goal always is to maintain the quality and standards of our products and services. We will also continue with the long-term strategic investment in our business, driven by our desire to give customers more and more reasons to choose to fly with us. It remains our privilege to serve as Hong Kong’s home carrier as we have proudly done for 66 years.”

The salary increases apply to all eligible local Cathay Pacific ground staff and cabin crew.