Audio leaked of airline crew allegedly discriminating against non-English speaking passengers

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways has dismissed 3 compartment unit members aft a rider accused them of discriminating against non-English speakers, successful a lawsuit that drew disapproval from Chinese authorities media.

Airline CEO Ronald Lam has expressed his apologies to the rider and the assemblage implicit the incident, which occurred connected a formation from Chengdu successful southwest China to Hong Kong connected Sunday. He reiterated his company's “zero tolerance” of immoderate superior breach of its policies and codification of conduct.

“There is nary compromise for specified violations,” helium said successful a statement.

Why were the unit members fired?

The sacking came aft the rider complained successful an online station that immoderate unit members were disrespectful to passengers who did not talk English oregon Cantonese, the language wide spoken successful Hong Kong. The person, who was sat adjacent the crew's resting area, overheard them complaining astir customers.

“During the full flight, not a infinitesimal went by erstwhile I was not distressed oregon angry,” the rider wrote.

In particular, the unit members made amusive of different passengers who mixed up the presumption 'blanket' and 'carpet' successful English and appeared to beryllium impatient adjacent erstwhile idiosyncratic tried to question assistance successful English, the station alleged.

“If you cannot accidental broad successful English, you cannot person it,” a idiosyncratic says successful an audio clip posted connected societal media. The remark was followed by laughter. “Carpet is connected the floor," the signaling continued. The Associated Press could not independently verify the audio clip.

Cathay Pacific issued an apology connected Monday connected the Chinese social media level Weibo for “the unpleasant experience” suffered by passengers connected the flight, but failed to pacify the choler triggered by the passenger's post.

On Tuesday, a Weibo relationship belonging to the overseas variation of the authoritative Chinese People's Daily paper sternly criticised Cathay Pacific implicit the incident.

“It seems that its company civilization inactive maintains a consciousness of superiority that worships foreigners and respects Hong Kongers but looks down connected mainlanders,” it wrote.

It said the airline should amended itself and found rules to halt the unhealthy trend.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said helium was disappointed to larn astir the disrespectful acts that had damaged the narration betwixt Hong Kong and mainland Chinese residents. He said helium had told Lam that it was a superior incidental and indispensable not hap again.

Cathay Pacific is moving to rebuild its concern aft years of strict pandemic travel restrictions forced the hose into steep losses.

In March, it reported a nonaccomplishment of 6.55 cardinal Hong Kong dollars (€786 million) successful 2022 - an 18.5 per cent summation from 2021 amid strict introduction restrictions for the metropolis during the archetypal fractional of past year.