Hong Kong pilot union head Paul Weatherilt open to ‘reconciling’ with Cathay if rights restored

Outgoing chief of union representing 1,300 Cathay Pacific pilots says airline could have avoided woes if it had not broken with association

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Paul Weatherilt is due to step down as the union’s chairman at the end of the month and will retire next year. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 9:29pm, 18 Sep 2024Updated: 10:40pm, 18 Sep 2024

The outgoing chief of Cathay Pacific Airways’ pilots’ union has said it is willing to reconcile with Hong Kong’s flag carrier if the airline agrees to resume collective bargaining after mass firings and resignations during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.

But Paul Weatherilt, the outspoken head of the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association, which represents 1,300 Cathay pilots, pulled no punches in criticising his employers, saying he would remain a “thorn in the company’s side” if it did not recognise the union’s rights.

The 64-year-old is due to step down as the union’s chairman at the end of the month and will retire next year.

Weatherilt, a Cathay employee for 30 years, told the Post the company’s fallout with the union in 2020 had caused pilots’ morale to hit “rock bottom”, while resulting in an “autocratic” leadership that failed to implement effective policies for the airline.

But he said his group was still willing to contribute and improve the airline’s practices and policies if they recognised the union as legitimate representatives.