A new era in the air

news
features
who, what, where
travel
Worth the
weight
A winning
streak
Gruelling
Gobi run
Nature at its
best
Cargo terminal bid
submitted
More trophies for
airline paddlers
Taking the desert
by storm
The wonders of
Yellowstone
Page 4
Page 9
Page 14
Page 16
A magazine for staff and friends of Cathay Pacific Airways
July 2007, Issue 136
A new era
in the air
Flight Attendant Janice Cheung stands
proudly beside B-HOT, the Boeing 747-400
that gained a special place in the fleet after it
became the first to be fitted with Cathay Pacific’s all-new, three-class long-haul product.
The aircraft went into service on 29 June and
within a few days was plying the skies between
Hong Kong and major long-haul destinations
such as London and San Francisco.
Passengers have already experienced the
First and Business Class cabins on an earlier
retrofit on B-HKT, so a lot of interest is being
shown in the Economy cabin featuring a revolutionary seat that reclines in its own shell.
There’s also a brand-new inflight entertainment system with audio and video on demand in Economy for the first time.
CX World went to visit HOT on a recent turnaround in Hong Kong and grabbed the first
pictures of the new product onboard.
HOT STUFF: The new product offers an
enhanced level of comfort in all cabins.
• See page 8 & 9
Powering up!
Strategy review a
‘top priority’: Tyler
Profitable growth still a focus ‘but we need to fill in the gaps’ says CE
Momentum is building up on all
fronts for the entry into service of
B-KPA, the first of CX’s Boeing 777300ER aircraft which will be delivered
in September.
Various departments are busy in different areas, and some are even marking their progress in creative ways.
The Technical Services – Powerplants team is working with engine
manufacturer General Electric on
getting the huge GE90-115B engines
ready for fitting on the aircraft – a collaboration commemorated with this
neat little sticker that will go out to
everyone connected with the project.
• See page 5
New Chief Executive Tony Tyler
says a review of Cathay Pacific’s strategy will be a top priority as the airline moves forward.
In an interview with CX World,
Tony says it is important to clarify
what the airline is doing and define
what goals the company is trying to
reach.
“Of course we have a strategy to
prosper and grow, and we will continue to aspire to that, but as a strategy it is very general and covers a
wide range of things. We need to fill
in the gaps,” he says.
Tony took over the Chief Executive reins on 1 July, with John Slosar, previously Managing Director
of Swire Beverages, coming back
into the CX fold as Chief Operating
Officer.
Former Chief Executive Philip Chen
took up a new position as Chairman
of John Swire & Sons (China) on the
same day, keeping his CX connection through a place on the Board as
Deputy Chairman.
Tony admits he’s “stepping into
some pretty big shoes”, but says he’s
in a fortunate position because the
airline – and the Group – is currently
in very good shape.
•
See page 3 for the full
Tony Tyler interview and a
profile of the new COO.
news
n
n CX backs aerospace expo
CX has been named as the Official
Carrier of the Asian Aerospace
International Expo and Congress
2007, to be held in Hong Kong
from 3 to 6 September.
The four-day event, the largest dedicated civil aerospace
showcase on the international
calendar, will feature more than
500 participating companies
from over 20 countries.
Tony Tyler, CX’s Chief Executive, will be one of the speakers
presenting a perspective on the
Asia Pacific’s role in the global
aviation industry.
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ceived for CX’s “100 Reasons We Love
Hong Kong” campaign, which closed
on 8 July.
The competition, which is giving
away 1,000 tickets as part of celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the
establishment of the HKSAR, received
entries ranging from photographs
and anecdotes to poems and even
recipes as the public displayed their
love of Hong Kong.
A huge range of reasons were given
among the 20,500 entries received,
11,700 of which came from Hong
Kong and 8,800 from overseas.
Spare a thought for the judges who
had to shortlist the thousands of entries into a list of 300.
Members of the public are being
invited to participate in deciding the
final list by voting online at www.
welovehongkong.hk between 16 and
29 July.
“The campaign has been an overwhelming success and the standard
of entries really impressed the judges,”
says Dane Cheng, General Manager
Corporate Communication.
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Global takeoffs
exceeded
2.5
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The round of public voting will
help to determine the top 100 winners, though the judging panel
– which includes Dane as the CX
representative alongside wellknown figures from the Hong Kong
community – will also play a part in
deciding the final list.
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HUGE TASK: Dane Cheng (left) with
members of the “100 Reasons”
judging panel: Peter Moss, Robert
Chow, Carol Lam, Chip Tsao and
Andrew Chan. All the judges were
impressed by the variety – and
quality – of the entries that made
the final 300.
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Training for Singapore base crew begins
The first batch of 24 newly recruited
Singapore-based cabin crew arrived in Hong Kong on 9 July for
their mandatory six-week training which will see them being
instilled with CX’s signature “Service Straight from the
Heart” culture and
groomed into one of
CX’s inflight service
providers. A total of 44
flight attendants have
been recruited for the
latest crew base. The
team will begin operating turnaround
flights between Singapore and Hong Kong from
September.
n
n Award nomination for TVCs
Four CX television advertisements, “Friendship”, “Boss From
Hell”, “My Brother and Me” and
“Rugby Sevens 2007”, have been
nominated for the TVB Most
Popular TV Commercial Awards
2007.
“My Brother and Me” has
already been awarded one
plaudit, being named as one
of ATV’s top 10 TV commercials
from last year.
The TVB awards are voted by
members of the public through
the online voting system at
www.tvb.com or at Circle K,
Park N Shop, Aji Ichiban and
OTO stores or through TVB
Weekly magazine.
Voting closes on 22 July
and the awards ceremony will
broadcast live on TVB Jade on
5 August.
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We love HK too!
million
for the first time in May
– up 5% on the same
month last year
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More than 20,000 entries were re-
CX’s first Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) report, published in May, has received warm
praise from one of Hong Kong’s
leading environmentalists.
Eric Bohm, Chief Executive Officer of WWF Hong Kong, wrote
to say how impressed the WWF
was by the airline’s “realistic and
encouraging” commitment to
the environment.
“The information on fuel efficiency and air traffic management is fascinating and I now
have a greater appreciation of
the complexities involved in air
transport,” he wrote.
Mr Bohm expressed his
appreciation for CX’s involvement with the Asian Waterbird
Conservation Fund, “but it is
your commitment to improving
environmental performance that
is the most gratifying”, he said.
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Campaign attracts a worldwide display of affection for Hong Kong
n CSR report praised
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Thousands of entries,
thousands of reasons
Briefs
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Performance Index
On-time performance
Within 15 mins
Industry standard
on-the-dot CX standard
Traffic/capacity (CX + KA)*
84.1%
53.4%
Passengers carried
1,883,521
+1.9%
Passenger load factor
81.0%
-0.1pt
ASKs (000)
8,227,349
+1.5%
Freight carried
129,169t
+1.3%
Cargo load factor
65.9%
-3.4pt
ATKs (000)
1,843,433
+5.0%
* Figures for June 2007
CCD thanks all staff who shared
their reasons for loving Hong Kong
in the “We Love Hong Kong Staff
Competition” held last month.
More than 130 entries were
received – from creative artworks
to expressive written compositions
– and each entry a showcase of
love for Hong Kong.
CX Manchester Key Account
Executive Cargo Dave Milk’s
visual entry scored major points
with the judges for its creativity
in highlighting the best of Hong
Kong – including Cathay Pacific.
Second prize went to Customer
Services Officer Zoe Fan who
submitted a moving piece on
falling in love with Hong Kong.
Food was a favourite theme
and First Officer Vee Ram’s thirdplaced entry showed why “there
is no other place in the world that
conjures images of global food
more than Hong Kong”.
Visit the “We Love Hong Kong”
website on IntraCX to see the
other shortlisted entries.
VISUAL TREAT: Dave Milk’s
creative winning entry.
Produced by CX’s Corporate
Communication Department
7/F North Tower, Cathay Pacific City,
Lantau, HK
Publisher: Dane Cheng
Managing Editor: Mark Tindall
Editor: Chris Bisogni
Enquiries: 2747-5293
GalaCXy ID: CCD#SCT
Email: ccd#[email protected]
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news
A strategy for success
New Chief
Executive Tony
Tyler speaks
to CX World
about the
challenges
and
opportunities
ahead as he
“steps into
some pretty
big shoes”
What will be your first priority as
Chief Executive?
My job as Chief Executive is to decide on the strategy of the airline,
determine what the goals of the
company should be, and then make
sure we can reach them, directing
our resources in the right areas.
I’m in a fortunate position because
everything is in good shape. The
priority is to clarify what we are doing, and what goals we are trying to
reach. One of the things I am asking
John (Slosar, Chief Operating Officer)
to do early on is to lead a review of
our strategy. Those who have been
around long enough to remember
the mid-1990s will recall that this was
something we did quite a lot of.
Of course we have a strategy to
prosper and grow, and we will continue to aspire to that, but as a strategy it is very general and covers a
wide range of things. We need to fill
in the gaps.
Do the recent changes in the
company make a strategy more
important?
So much has changed in recent
years. We are now a group, including Dragonair, and have a major network in China. That’s new. Where we
get our revenue from has changed a
lot and the structure of our revenue
has changed too. Now, even the fuel
surcharge is a very important component of our revenue. Then there
have also been changes in the competitive environment, and our cost
structure is hugely different from
what it was a few years ago.
So many things have changed
and there’s a need to review where
we want to go, review how we want
to get there, make plans and then
make it very clear to all Cathay Pacific people what we’re doing and
why we’re doing it.
Are you looking at ‘quick hits’?
There will be some quick hits, no
doubt, but equally some things will
take a lot longer. From my point of
view the main thing is to decide
quickly how we are going to grow
the business profitably, and what
we’re going to do about some of the
challenges we face, and then communicate that to the team.
Things are good right now, but
there must be areas of concern?
I am worried about the cargo downturn, for sure, but in general what
worries me is the competitive situation. Apart from the Hong Kong carriers, which we have to do a good
job of competing with, we’ve also
got enormous competition coming
to us from the Middle East carriers
who are investing massively without
the financial constraints of normal
commercially run companies.
But I don’t want to be too gloomy
about things. I do see enormous
opportunity, in particular from
driving network traffic to and from
the Mainland, but it’s not just going to happen – we have to make
it happen.
Dragonair would appear to be
important in this respect?
Dragonair is of course massively important. By doing the deal last year,
at a stroke we’ve given ourselves a
better network in the Mainland than
any other non-Mainland carrier. It
just seems so right to be where we
are now and be a complete Hong
Kong carrier. We would have been in
a much weaker position if we hadn’t
done the deal last year.
As for the synergies, we can’t disclose numbers but the figures coming out of our revenue department in
terms of the additional revenue we are
now getting are completely up with
our expectations. And these are real
benefits; it is not just clever accounting, this is real incremental revenue.
Is there a lot of work still to be
done?
I think we’ve moved really fast and
done very well in terms of bringing
the two organisations together, but
the integration is inevitably going to
be a work in progress for a while.
We need to do more work in the
areas of branding and product,
for example, and we have just announced changes on the crew planning and rostering side to improve
that area of the operation.
Is anything concrete going to
happen on the Air China front?
The Air China relationship is going
to bear fruit over the longer term.
We have agreed with Air China that
we will be doing things together
– code sharing, joint ventures on
common routes and the cargo joint
venture in Shanghai. Work is still ongoing in many areas but I can assure
you things will happen.
How important are the new 777s
and the new product for CX?
I am very excited about both and
I’ve been very personally involved with both. The 777 is just
a great aircraft and it’s going to
be a winner for our customers,
our crew and our bottom line. It’s
a very efficient long-haul aircraft
that will suit our market very
well.
And the new product is also a
fantastic product in all three classes, with the biggest splash probably being made in Economy. The
Business Class is very different to
what we’ve done before and the
fishbone layout is something that
some people say they don’t like.
But it’s the only way of getting an
economical number of seats flat,
and it’s becoming one of the industry standards.
Have there been teething
problems with the product?
There are a a few things in Business and First Class that once
we’ve got a bit more experience we may want to modify or
change, but we’ve got to keep
this in perspective. I’d really like
everyone in the company to get
behind and support it, because it
is something all of us at CX should
be very proud of.
Regarding the delay in the rollout, we had a project plan that
all looked good at the start but
we were probably a little too optimistic. Other airlines have had
worse issues with delays and cost
overruns so although the delay is
disappointing things could have
been much worse!
• Continued on page 4
‘Delighted’ to be back in the airline world
New Chief Operating Officer John Slosar is finding his feet after an 11-year break from the CX
It’s been more than a decade since
John Slosar last trod the corridors of
Cathay Pacific’s headquarters.
In early 1996 John was happily
ensconced in the airline as General
Manager Airline Planning when a
phone call from then Chairman Peter Sutch led to a move to HAECO.
“In 1998 I had another phone call
from Peter and he said he wanted
me to switch to the Coke business.
I asked why, and he said, ‘you can
speak American to Coke, right?’”
laughs John.
For the next nine years, as Managing Director of Swire Beverages,
John was focused on building “the
world’s biggest brand in the world’s
biggest market”.
“When I took over at Swire Beverages, China was a tiny business that
was losing money, but it obviously
had all the potential in the world,”
says John.
“The most important thing we did
was to develop a China strategy and
to execute it, and the business has
been growing at 20 per cent a year
for the past five years as a result.”
The potential of the Mainland
market will still be a big focus for
John as he settles in as Chief Operating Officer at CX. Perhaps the
biggest change at the airline since
John left in 1996 is the merger with
Dragonair and the acquisition of a
strong Mainland network.
“This is a great development for
us – any airline in the world would
give anything to have that network,”
says John. “The KA merger and the
shareholding in Air China create a
lot of opportunities. The potential’s
there and it’s up to us to decide how
we want to realise it.”
There have been many changes
in the airline and the industry as a
whole since John was last with CX,
and some things have already made
a big impression. Cathay City, for
example – “a big improvement over
the split thing we had at Kai Tak”
– and the airline’s product.
“The product’s just got better and better,” he says. “I spent a
huge amount of the past seven
years travelling on airplanes and
I was able to see things from the
customer end. The service and dependability you get from CX is second to none and people who travel
a lot know that.”
John always had the airline industry in his sights. He was keen to
work with CX when he joined the
Swire group in 1980 (“they listened
to me, so that’s where I ended up!”
he laughs). He worked in a variety
of departments over the subsequent years with a highlight being
when he was drafted in to bring San
Francisco online in 1986. There was
another break from aviation when
Swire appointed him to Oceanroutes in 1988, designing optimal
routes for ocean shipping.
Being brought back into the CX
fold was a surprise, “but I’m delighted,” says John.
The first priority is to get to know
everyone – “and it’s great to see
so many friends and familiar faces
around,” he says.
“Given all the opportunities we
have I think it’s a good time to take
stock, think through our strategy
and look at how we can compete
effectively, develop our product and
develop the Dragonair/Air China
potential.”
On the staff side, John says his experience of running various entities
outside CX has enabled him to develop his own ideas on how things
work best, particularly relating to
the working culture.
“We have to make sure we make
the time and effort to grow and develop the people working in CX and I
will ask my direct reports and GMs to
pass on this message.” he says.
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A huge weight
off their minds
Minutes to spare as terminal bid goes in
FINAL SUBMISSION: Samson Leung, Margaret Lo, Jackie Chui, Ken Lu, Ian Hung and Peter Lee from
the Cargo Terminal Programme team with their 170kg pile of documents.
It was a just-in-time delivery when Cathay Pacific submitted its bid to build and operate the third
cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport.
Cargo’s terminal programme team arrived at the
Airport Authority offices with about 15 minutes to
spare before the submission deadline on 25 June.
The delivery was made more complicated by
the sheer size of the tender document, which
consisted of 54 box binders in six big boxes
along with 18 tubes filled with A1 drawings.
“It weighed more than 170 kilograms and it
took four of us to push it into the office,” says Peter Lee, Cargo Terminal Programme Manager.
Preparation for the cargo terminal submission started back in December 2005 when CX
first proposed the idea of a terminal to the Airport Authority, stressing that such a facility was
necessary for the long-term competitiveness of
Hong Kong as an air freight hub.
A programme office was formed to work on
the project and a world-class team of consultants
assembled to work on the design of everything
from the design of the building and the mechanical handling system to safety and security, fire
and traffic engineering and environmental protection during operations.
“We also had various delivery groups working
on different areas such as the warehouse operations planning, trucking logistics, HR planning
and economic benefits studies,” says Peter.
“We have submitted a first-class tender and
it was a great team effort in which everyone
pulled together,” says Peter. “My sincere thanks
to all of them.”
Tony Tyler outlines need for strategy review
sive maintenance check we’ll review whether it’s
• From page 3
worth spending the money.
All these new aircraft are arriving, but
where are we going to fly them?
To be honest there’s not a lot of places that you
can fly to profitably from Hong Kong that we
don’t cover already so the main strategy is to
build up and thicken up the hub and the network. We will strengthen some major long-haul
services soon – Melbourne, Vancouver, New
York, for example – and will also announce some
new regional destinations that are being facilitated by having the Dragonair A320 fleet.
Will cargo remain important?
In a good year cargo has accounted for 30 per
cent of our revenue. This year it will be less than
that because demand is down (and passenger
revenue has been going so well). In the long run
we are very optimistic about Hong Kong as a cargo hub and I’m very excited about the deliveries
of the new cargo 747-400ERFs next year and our
bid for the cargo terminal, where we have made a
strong case. Actually it’s a compelling case.
We do have decisions to make about the Classics because their reliability is below par, and the
maintenance levels and fuel costs are high. We
are looking at when they should be phased out,
and as each one approaches a heavy and expen4
The environment seems to becoming an
ever-bigger issue?
It’s definitely a huge issue for us at the moment,
and for the industry as a whole. There are some
very active environmentalists now and I think
the airline industry has been given a bum rap,
if you pardon the expression. Awareness and
sensitivities on this issue will inevitably increase
in Asia. I hope that when it does it will develop
into a more responsible and balanced way. I
think Cathay Pacific can help to influence how
attitudes develop in this region, and we need
to play a leadership role.
On a more personal level, how do you feel
about what you’ve achieved?
I am delighted to be here and I think I’ve got the
best job in the airline industry. I’d like to pay tribute to Philip Chen, who did a wonderful job, and
David Turnbull before him. When I was preparing to take over I was conscious of the fact I was
stepping into some pretty big shoes.
It’s a great time to be coming into this job. Exciting things are happening and we’ve got some
great teams working here. It’s a real privilege to
be given the chance to lead this airline.
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Excitement as wilderness adventure begins
Briefs
n A true taste of India
The Cathay Pacific International Wilderness
Experience 2007 officially began on 10 July
when 38 students and delegates jetted off
on CX749 to Johannesburg.
Cathay Pacific has continued its association with the “Experience” which was established in 1994 and promotes environmental
awareness and fosters a deeper understanding of cultural differences.
To date more than 550 students from 17
countries have had the opportunity to participate in the adventure and promote crosscultural understanding.
A total of eight Hong Kong student selected for this year’s experience will join
together with 30 delegates from nine other
countries and territories including the Mainland, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Pakistan and South Africa.
They’ve got
the power!
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Indian food will be the specialty fare on flights to and from
Bombay and Delhi as a result of a
special promotion running from
1 August.
CX recently enlisted the help
of Chef Satish Aurora, Director
of Food Production at India’s Taj
Group of Hotels, to help the CPCS
team in the preparation and presentation of dishes.
The promotion, the second of
its kind in CX’s history, is running
for three months and will be
served on all flights to and from
the subcontinent.
n More flights for Dallas,
Atlanta
Continued strong demand
to Dallas and Atlanta has led
Cargo to add more flights on the
freighter route.
The four-times-weekly service
will be upped to six flights a week
from 25 July, with another flight
added from 25 August to make it a
daily operation.
All flights will be operated using
a Boeing 747-400 freighter.
n
n ISGs on call
With the typhoon season imminent, Immediate Support Group
(ISG) members are being readied
for supporting customers and colleagues at the airport in the event
of disruptions.
The Contingency Planning
Department is now in the process of conducting callout tests,
activating ISG callout through the
Web-based crisis system Einstein.
Members are being asked to
respond to the test calls to allow
CCP to gauge how resources can
best be allocated in the event of a
real disruption.
Tests on the giant GE90 engines
for the 777-300ERs are underway
777
countdown
With the arrival of Cathay Pacific’s
first Boeing 777-300ER just a couple
of months away, teams in various
departments are busy working on
preparations for the aircraft’s entry
into service.
The focus for the Technical Services
– Powerplants team is on making sure
the airline is ready for a new engine
type – the massive GE90-115Bs that
will power the new fleet addition.
GE has been putting the two engines for CX’s first 777-300ER, B-KPA,
through their paces at its test facility
in Peebles, Ohio.
The engines will be shipped to
Boeing’s Seattle plant in August to
be fitted on the aircraft.
David Vowles, Technical Services
Manager – Powerplants, says his
team, in conjunction with other Engineering sections, is working through
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“This will be our first long-haul
ETOPS operation – we’ve used only
four-engine aircraft previously – and
we are targeting 180/207 approval at
entry into service,” says Dave, meaning the aircraft can operate on routes
up to 180 or even 207 minutes away
from the nearest diversion airport.
The ultimate goal, he says, is 240
minutes ETOPS.
Dave says the GE90 – which recently set a new world record by generating 127,900 pounds of thrust – is
a superb engine that will generate a
lot of excitement in the airline.
“Captain John Gough, GE Flight
Operations Support Director, will be
at CX in September to take the 777
pilots through the engine from a
FOP perspective and I’m sure they’ll
be as excited about it as we engineers are,” he says.
an entry-into-service checklist that
includes making arrangements for
the delivery of the first spare engine.
“It’s so big, the engine has to be
split for transportation, with the
fan and propulsor being brought to
Hong Kong separately,” says Dave. A
team from Boeing, GE and HAECO
will reassemble it when it arrives on
15 September.
Also high on the agenda is getting
the next level of ETOPS (Extendedrange Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) approval from
the Civil Aviation Department.
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The number of Asia Miles
and Marco Polo Club
members worldwide as of
June was more than
TEST RUN: With 127,900 pounds
of thrust, there is plenty of grunt
in the GE90s seen here being put
through their paces at Peebles.
3.1
million
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Flashback
May 1975….
…and, as it is now, CX was counting down the days for the arrival of a new
aircraft type into its fleet.
Delivery of the first Super TriStar, the name coined for the Dash 100 longrange version of the Lockhead L-1011 widebody, was just months away,
following 10 months of assembly in Palmdale, California.
The Super TriStar was configured to carry 286 passengers, including 20 in First
Class, and could carry 8,200 kilograms of fuel.
To brand the aircraft’s 178 foot fuselage in CX colours, a 45-tonne moving
gantry was used with eight painters taking just 40 minutes for one coat of paint.
As you can see in the story above, delivery of the new Boeing 777-300ERs is
just a couple of months away.
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n CX to control KA’s crew
administration
Dragonair’s crew resource
functions, including rostering,
planning and control, will be administered by CX under a service
level agreement between the two
airlines.
The integration is part of an
effort to achieve greater efficiency
in crew management as KA’s fleet
and network grows.
All KA ground staff affected
by the consolidation will be employed by CX.
Dennis Leung, currently CX ICM
Scheduling Manager, will be seconded from his position to oversee
this latest integration project.
5
feedback
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Letters to the Editor
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What would be
your ideal
inflight meal?
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Star letter
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Have we
got it right
in Business
Class?
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I was excited recently when I realised my trip to Japan coincided
with the first revenue flight for BHOT, our first aircraft with all three
classes of the new long-haul product fitted.
I was travelling in Business Class
and looked forward to seeing how
the new seat shaped up. However,
to be honest I was a little disappointed. While the seat itself was
comfortable I found the herringbone format a bit strange – you
feel very cut off from everyone in
the cabin.
Also, while I understand the need
for privacy I felt that the partitions
between the seats are a bit high. I
found it hard just to sit and read a
newspaper, for example.
Can our Product team comment
on why our new Business Class cabin has been designed in this way?
n
Name withheld
Manager Product, Sarah Blomfield
replies: The first part of any redesign
exercise is to understand the business
imperatives that we need to fulfil. In
this case, we were clear that the three
things we needed to achieve were,
minimal seat loss from the existing
configuration; a flat bed; and privacy.
The primary benefit to the passenger of this configuration is sleeping comfort, in a private environment. On long-haul sectors, sleep
is the most important requirement
for business people who are going
straight to work when they arrive.
The height of the partitions was
tested with passengers to determine the optimum height that
afforded the privacy that they desired, as well as many other features
such as larger PTVs, improved width
at the shoulders, ergonomically situated controls and technically advanced “memory foam” seats.
Thanks for your comments, and
please send us your feedback if you
fly on the new Economy Class!
Too rushed?
My biggest frustration is coming
from an outport on an ID ticket and
having to go through Hong Kong
immigration, claim my bags and
then clear customs. Then, if I am accepted for travel, it is always a mad
dash to check in my bags and go
back through immigration.
Is this absolutely necessary? Can we
not standby at the transit desk instead?
Cecilia Mendoza
Supervisor, Inside Sales and Ticketing
New York
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Personnel Manager Overseas &
Employee Services, Bob Nipperess
replies: Thanks for raising this point
Cecilia. When HKIA first opened we
did provide a transfer desk for ID
passengers. However, the facility
was withdrawn because of the effect ID traffic was having on our
full-fare customers.
We did a further study to see
if setting up a dedicated transfer
desk to handle ID passengers was
feasible, but it couldn’t be justified on cost grounds.
Where flights departing Hong
Kong are open, we do throughcheck ID passengers whose journeys originate in outports. However, for the reasons given above,
we cannot currently accept ID
passengers at our transit desks
and they need to continue using
landside counters.
While we were promoting Destination China last month, I found it
disappointing to note the lack of
leisure travel information about
the Mainland uploaded on Travel
Desk such as details of leisuretravel hotels and photos.
Can we make use of the abundance of information from Destination China to enrich our Travel Desk?
And can we encourage various
Mainland ports to help supply details of special rates at local hotels?
Angela Liew
General Manager Abacus
Benefits Services Manager, Jessica Chan replies: Thanks for your
comments Angela. We are keen to
further promote travel in Mainland
China wherever possible but, due
to copyright issues, we cannot reuse the Destination China photos
for Travel Desk.
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We welcome feedback from anyone in the CX network on any issue affecting the airline or
the industry. Please email your letters to CCD#SCT. Not all letters will be published but those
that are will be edited for length and to comply with the CX World style.
The sender of the star letter each month will win 3,000 Asia Miles. The Feedback page is
sponsored by Asia’s leading travel reward programme.
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Last month we asked you “How does the newlook CX World compare to the old version?”
You answered:
Big improvement
Some improvement
No difference
What happened,
guys?
0
10 20 30 40 50 60 %
Check out the CX World website and Daily News
on IntraCX for next month’s poll question.
6
Dessert is my
weakness, so in
an ideal scenario I
would like to see a
lot of yoghurt and
ice cream served.
For me this is as important as the
main meal.
Kenny Wong
CGO
Nice gym
renovation,
but...
Japanese food
such as sushi,
sashimi and green
tea. This is my
favourite cuisine
and I only get to
have it once a month, so more of
this would be great.
Lydia Yip
Global Logistics
Destination
where?
Send us your feedback
The online poll
However, we hope we will be able
to make use of the great shots sent
in by staff for the Destination China
photo competition (see page 10).
We will continue to look at ways
to further improve the information
provided on Travel Desk and have
been in touch with Mainland outports to encourage them to share
more information.
I like the recent gym renovation
but have one small gripe: the size
of the LCD displays dotted around
the walls is too small. It’s easy to
see the screens if you’re working
out on the machines closest to the
wall, but if you’re on the second tier
of machines it’s quite a struggle to
see anything.
Wouldn’t it have been better to
have three bigger screens instead
of six small ones?
“Pumped up”
Headland GM, Rod Munro replies:
Our initial design plans were set up
to encourage maximum television
exposure incorporating blue tooth
headphone technology.
Following your letter, we immediately replaced a number of the 23inch units with larger 32-inch units
to improve viewing accessibility for
treadmill users in the gym.
We do sincerely hope the changes provide all gym users with better accessibility to our new LCD
units and make your workouts
more pleasurable.
Desserts such as
chocolate brulee
would be nice.
I have a sweet
tooth so candies
to snack on would
also be a nice addition. I also think
other snack food such as potato
chips should be served.
Anita Choy
FIN
Dim sum, which
I think would be
more suitable
for our Chinese
passengers as well
as myself. I like
shrimp rolls and congee, so this
would be my ideal inflight eating
experience.
Alex Leung
ENG
I would like salad
as an appetiser
and then steak or
beef as the main
dish and then
finish it all off with
marble cheesecake. That would be
my perfect inflight meal.
Louisa Chan
PSS
The Quiz
Our first prize this month comes courtesy of the
very generous people from the Lotte Hotel World,
who will welcome the lucky winner to a
three-night deluxe room package with
breakfast for two people.
Overlooking the beautiful Han River in Seoul,
the Lotte Hotel World offers a great variety
of choices with its 507 recently renovated guestrooms. The hotel boasts three
restaurants and bars and 14 meeting and banquet rooms. Other features include
duty-free shopping and a department store, a sauna and swimming pool, and the
Lotte World Adventure, the world’s biggest indoor theme park, right next door.
This year the Lotte Hotel celebrates its 33rd birthday and the chain includes the
Lotte Hotel Seoul and hotels in Busan, Jeju and Ulsan.
Visit www.lottehotel.co.kr for more information.
Second prize is dinner for two at ‘SPOON by Alain Ducasse’ at
the InterContintental Hotel in Hong Kong. Since it opened in
October 2003, ‘SPOON by Alain Ducasse’ has been one of Asia’s
most innovative dining concepts featuring contemporary
cuisine inspired by chef and restaurateur Alain Ducasse, the
world’s most awarded chef.
“SPOON by Alain Ducasse” is open
daily for dinner and on Sundays for
lunch.
For reservations,
call 2313-2256
or email:
spoonbyalainducasse.
[email protected]
To enter, visit the online quiz entry form on the CX World site. The deadline is noon on Friday, 3 August.
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Getting ready for oneworld
Mainland airports a focus in preparations for joining alliance
Preparations are well underway for Dragonair’s entry into the oneworld alliance as an affiliate, with a wide variety of processes already
in place for the official launch date.
While that date is still to be determined, both CX and KA are working across various departments to ensure the full range of oneworld’s
services and benefits will be available.
CX is the sponsor airline for KA’s inclusion, and has been providing all the necessary assistance and guidance to ensure
KA will fulfil all the requirements before joining the alliance.
Airports will be very much in the spotlight and a number
of working groups have been established between CX and
KA to look at different areas including IT automation, training, baggage handling, lounges and the placement of oneworld
signage.
“The aim is to get all frontline staff to be familiar with the policies
and procedures associated with the alliance,” says CX’s Network Performance Manager Emil Tam.
Emil says one issue affecting the preparations is that many of KA’s
outports are based in Mainland. “As such, we have to ensure our IT inn
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frastructure is up to speed as the various ground handling agents we
use - as the oneworld alliance demands very high standards.”
KA’s Manager Services Delivery Norman Chan, who is overseeing
the airline’s progress, says everything is on track, despite the enormous task facing staff.
“We’re currently looking at our counters and how we utilise these,
as we anticipate an increase in premium connecting passengers
from oneworld who will be using the Business Class counters,”
says Norman.
Another area that is a strong focus is KA’s lounges.
“We are also working on the issue of the lounges as demand is certain to rise and the Dragonair lounges – particularly in Hong Kong, Kaohsiung and Shanghai – will need to
be able to handle an increase in demand.”
Norman says KA’s inclusion into the oneworld alliance is exciting for everyone associated with the airline.
“The benefits to KA as well as oneworld are enormous. The alliance’s network will provide feeds into KA’s network and vice versa,
while the brand endorsement of oneworld will help promote KA to
another level,” he says.
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Young cadets presented with
the opportunity of a lifetime
Handled with
great care
As official carrier of the “Pride of China: Masterpieces of
Chinese Painting and Calligraphy of the Jin, Tang, Song
and Yuan Dynasties from the Palace Museum” exhibition,
Dragonair left nothing to chance when it came to delivering the masterpieces.
Under tight security the precious cargo arrived at HKIA for
the exhibition which is a joint presentation by the Leisure
and Cultural Services Department and the Palace Museum.
The exhibition has been extremely popular. The museum
had specially arranged advance sale of admission tickets,
and more than 8,800 tickets were sold prior to the first day
of exhibition on 29 June.
A special VIP viewing for CX and KA management was
held at the museum on 12 July.
Seven Hong Kong youngsters with
a genuine passion for the aviation
industry have been chosen to take
part in this year’s Dragonair Aviation
Certificate Programme.
First launched in 2005, the unique
five-month programme is a joint
initiative between KA and the Hong
Kong Air Cadet Corps, which aims to
inspire a new generation of aviators
in Hong Kong.
This year’s programme was
launched on 22 June at the Hong
Kong Aviation Club where the
seven cadets were introduced and
their programme was outlined.
Seven KA pilots will take the
cadets under their wing and give
them first-hand knowledge and
real-life experience about air operations.
The mentoring programme includes training sessions, briefings
and tours of aviation-related organi-
sations such as the Civil Aviation
Department, HAECO, HIAS and the
Airport Meteorological Office of the
Hong Kong Observatory.
“The Dragonair Aviation Certificate Programme marks our continued efforts to inspire young
people in the Hong Kong community,” said KA Chief Executive
Officer Kenny Tang at the launch
ceremony.
“The programme has been enhanced this year, enabling us to
cover an even wider range of aviation-related subjects.”
Already the cadets have toured
the Air Traffic Control Tower at
HKIA to find out more about its
daily operations, how the equipment works and basic flight regulations and standards.
The Dragonair Aviation Certificate Programme runs from 1 July
to 30 November.
CHOSEN FEW: KA’s Chief Executive Officer Kenny Tang and the Hong Kong
Air Cadet Corps’ Group Captain Leonard Leung with the seven cadets.
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KA People
Tai chi rewards
Five years ago Selina Kwan attended
one of Dragonair’s
lunchtime tai chi
classes and immediately felt a
connection.
Today, Selina,
KA’s Manager – Personnel, Cabin Crew
is an award-winning tai chi artist in
various disciplines
of the martial art.
Selina has won
several awards
and participated in a number of tournaments, she
is a regular participant in the traditional tai chi
category – “three minutes” – and earlier this year
won the silver medal at the International Taijiquan
Invitation Tournament, organised by the Hong
Kong Wushu Union.
There are many different styles of tai chi and
over the years Selina has learnt and come to appreciate the different forms, including her personal
favourite “Tai Chi Sword”.
“I enjoy practicing tai chi with a sword as I can
hold onto something, which I prefer to practicing
empty-handed,” she says.
Those who think the slow and majestic movements are easy should think again.
“It is not easy to practice as it requires the
coordination of your whole body, particularly
your legs,” Selina says. “But tai chi is good for your
health and I feel more energetic in mind and body
after I practice.”
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A new life in HK
In her two years
as part of KA’s
PRC Management
Trainee programme,
Luna Xing has
worked in a
number of the
airline’s various
departments,
but there was
one key element
missing from her
preparations when
she made the move
from her native Shanghai to Hong Kong.
In Shanghai, Luna worked in Passenger Sales,
Marketing, Cargo Sales and Cargo Services for
Dragonair, but it was the culture shock of moving
to Hong Kong that took her by surprise.
“It was difficult to adapt to life here in the
beginning,” Luna recalls. “The different culture and
language was tough, and not even being able to
understand what was on television made it even
harder!”
However, after witnessing the fireworks for the
10th anniversary of the HKSAR, and with help from
her colleagues, Luna started to feel right at home.
“The staff here in Hong Kong have been really
nice and helpful which has made life a lot easier for
me here. I have been introduced to a lot of people
and have been taken good care of,” she says.
Now in her third year of the trainee programme,
Luna is excited about working at Dragonair’s
headquarters.
Her next challenge will be to master Cantonese
and further explore Hong Kong and all that it has
to offer.
7
features
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Some like it HO
B-HOT made its long awaited debut last month with the new inflight produ
First Class
TOP CLASS: A foldout table
provides a comfortable area
for passengers to work or
relax, complementing a bed
that can accommodate even
the tallest of passengers.
Each First Class suite also
has a personal closet.
A new era began for Cathay Pacific when CX504
took off from HKIA bound for Tokyo on 29 June.
The flight marked the debut for B-HOT, the first of
CX’s long-haul aircraft to be fitted with the airline’s
new inflight product in all three classes.
This is the first time the new Economy Class cabin
has been seen – B-HKT went into service in May
with just the First and Business Class cabins in
place. One passenger’s reaction – “fantastic, spot
on”– reflects the general feeling about the revolutionary new YCL seats.
The Economy seats feature a fixed back to increase
living space and comfort for passengers, as well as
personal 9-inch TV screens offering the new eX2
inflight entertainment (IFE) system.
The new IFE includes audio and video on demand
with 50 movies, more than 100 TV shows, over 160
CDs, 22 radio channels and 96 games for First and
Business, and 83 for Economy Class.
Qualitative feedback on the new Business Class
seats indicates that individual travellers in particular are very happy with the sleeping comfort and
privacy they are afforded.
“It’s been worth the wait and we look forward to
when we are able to offer all our long-haul passengers the same comfort that B-HOT passengers
have enjoyed these past few weeks,” says Manager
Product Sarah Blomfield.
• Staff reaction – see Feedback, page 6
Economy Class
REVOLUTIONARY: The Economy Class seats recline
within their shell increasing comfort for passengers,
while the new inflight entertainment system provides a
broader range of on-demand audio and visual choices
on bigger personal TV screens.
8
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features
OT!
uct in all three classes
Business Class
‘Go, go, go!’
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WINNERS ARE GRINNERS: The
CX team were in party mode
following their success in this
year’s dragon boat races at
Discovery Bay (above).
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In May we took second place in
the Ladies Plate and third in the
Mixed Bowl at the Deep Water
Bay Dragon Boat Race. Then it
was off to Malaysia for the Penang
International Dragon Boat Race on
11 June, where we took second spot
in the International Airline Race.
The competition was tough at
the Mui Wo Dragon Boat Race on 17
June but our team spirit pulled us
through to grab the runner-up prize
in the Ladies Gold Cup.
After the champagne corks popped
in Discovery Bay our hopes were
high for the Hong Kong International
Dragon Boat Race on 23-24 June, but
it wasn’t to be this year.
Our total haul for the season? A
grand total of seven trophies, breaking
all records since the formation of the
Dragon Boat Club in 1984.
Even if you have not paddled
before, you should think about
joining us next year. Our sole aim is
not to win, but as our team captain l
says, “just take it easy and have fun”.
We certainly have fun – and we
sometimes destroy the
opposition along the
way!
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The other team was a boat length
ahead and our hopes seemed to
be fading fast. It was hard to forget
that our rivals had won the women’s
championship at Discovery Bay
many years in a row.
I could only think of what our
Captain Stanley Tam had said before
we got in the boat. “CX ladies have
never won a championship trophy.
Do you think we’ll get one this
year?” he asked “Yes!” we all cried
– but now it looked like our promise
was not to be fulfilled.
Then suddenly we experienced
a surge and our female rowers
paddled furiously to the finish line
at Discovery Bay. We could see
Stanley on the beach, looking as if
he had been slapped by a fish. And
then the splashing water, hugging
and screaming brought me back
to reality – we had won the Ladies
Championship in a time of 2:11:06.
The screaming got even louder
later when the Mixed Team came first
in the Plate final, finishing in a time
of 1:55:12. The usually subdued CX
staff suddenly got raucous
– and with good reason,
because it was a recordbreaking year.
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PERSONAL AND PRIVATE:
Greater privacy and more
personal space are key
features of the Business
Class seats, allowing
business travellers the
perfect environment for
long-haul travel.
Senior Purser Carmen Heredia
was one of the paddlers as the CX
dragon boat team hauled in the
trophies at Discovery Bay
IT’S OURS: Author Carmen
holds the cup while ISD’s
Amanda Hung (left) joins the
celebrations.
9
news
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Mainland discoveries
Staff took part in a wide range of activities during Destination China
It was three fun-filled weeks of
lunchtime activities at Cathay City
as staff immersed themselves in all
things Chinese for Destination China, which kicked off on 11 June.
There were plenty of activities
for staff to participate in. Putonghua Week from 11 to 15 June tested
staff on their knowledge on Chinese cities and provinces and at the
same time encouraged participants
to speak the Mainland’s national
language.
Staff also had plenty of fun at the
promotional booths where they
sampled dragon candy and tried
their luck at winning hotel accommodation packages generously
sponsored by KA Holidays.
Ties with aviation were not forgotten with guest speakers Tian
Baohua, Principal of Civil Aviation
Management Institution of China,
and former CX Director Raymond
Yuen addressing staff in the Auditorium on 18 and 28 June respectively.
Rounding off Destination China
on 29 June was a rousing Chinese
orchestral performance by students
from the St Mary’s Canossian College.
“This is the first time we have
featured a country on such a great
scale at Cathay City, “ says Benefits
Services Manager Jessica Chan,
who credits a team of Management
Trainees who helped put the promotion together with support from
Personnel and the Training & Development Centre.
“Overall, Destination China was
very successful and helped to raise
staff awareness on the Mainland
and Dragonair,” Jessica adds.
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WHAT I DO
Vivian Kwok
Language Training Specialist
Putonghua
What are your main roles and
responsibilities?
As a language-training specialist
in Putonghua, I am responsible for
conducting Mandarin language and
communication training for all levels
of staff. I help with the provision of
language assessment services and
act as a conduit for external language
institutions to provide Asian language
development for staff.
What are some of the challenges
you face in your role?
I am in charge of the training for all
new cabin crew and ground staff
which equates to around 8,000
assessments a year. Sometimes I do
feel some pressure. However, I go by
the motto of “no pain, no gain” and
with the support of my colleagues
and fellow trainees have been able to
overcome any challenges.
MADE IT: The Destination China working team organised three weeks of activities at Cathay City that included
noodle making, musical performances, Putonghua riddles and holiday prizes.
Is your job getting any easier
or harder?
A bit of both, to be perfectly honest.
When it comes to routine training,
assessments and communicating with
external institutions, these tasks get
easier and easier. What is becoming
tougher is improving the standard of
Putonghua at a corporate level.
What are people’s expectations
from language training?
Some hope they will get plenty of
opportunities to use and practice
Mandarin, so as trainers we can
implement more interactive and roleplaying activities.
How do you see your role
developing in the future?
Ladies Club is the winning shot
One of the highlights of Destination China
was the photo competition where staff were
invited to share their favourite photos of China.
Close to 170 entries were submitted and
an entry titled “Ladies Club” by Catherine
Chan (ISD) emerged as the grand winner. Her
photo shows a group of Yunnan farmers who
were waiting in the market square for Tibetan
dancers to perform.
“The winning entry is a very well-composed
photo which displays a really nice snapshot
of daily life in China,” says CCD photographer
David McIntyre, who was one of the judges in
the contest.
All the shortlisted photo entries will be
posted on IntraCX soon.
10
As CX expands into the Mainland
market, and with the ongoing
integration with KA, Putonghua will
become an important tool in our
corporate business development.
In addition to carrying out training
courses we should look at other
language-training activities,
campaigns and workshops to
further develop a proactive learning
atmosphere.
What is your advice to anyone
who wants to learn a language?
“Practice makes perfect!” The most
effective way to learn a language is to
take every opportunity to listen and
speak that language. I always motivate
trainees to communicate in Putonghua
throughout the entire day’s training.
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Authors out in force as new
crew book takes flight
A walk on the
wild side
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and personal lives of
CX’s inflight service
providers.
This time, 57 stories by 21 crew made
it into the book. Six
new writers have
joined the pool this
year, including Director Service Delivery Quince Chong
who wrote about the training
that prepared her for management flying.
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WRITE STUFF: ISD Managers and cabin crew authors at the book launch.
Those who enjoyed reading last year’s The High
Life: In the Air with Cathay
Pacific Flight Attendants
will be happy to hear a follow up book has just been
published.
Just like its predecessor,
The High Life II is a compilation of stories written by
CX cabin crew.
Previously published in Ming Pao
Daily, the stories offer readers fascinating insights into the professional
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Improvements to passenger experience, lower costs promised
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Management centre
opens for new product
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viders in a single integrated team,
has now become a reality.
“The team is multifunctional and
includes staff from CX Line Maintenance, Inventory Operations, Procurement, Technical Services, and
Engineering Planning. An integral
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has brought about a greater focus on
how to manage our product in the
future,” says Clive Montgomery Cabin
Maintenance Manager.
The original vision, to have all CX’s
cabin equipment suppliers working
together with the maintenance pro-
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OPENING UP: HAECO’S Mark Hayman (left) and Michael Bluck (right)
with ENG’s Steve Chadwick at the centre opening in June.
element to the team’s success is
the close alignment across various departments such as Product, APD and ISD,” Clive says.
The HAECO engineers and
planning staff analyse all defects in real time as they are reported, and perform necessary
troubleshooting, spares identification and manpower coordination to ensure the most
timely rectification. In addition
a more proactive inspection
schedule is being adopted to
avoid in-service failures before
they occur.
The new Cabin Management
Centre, which is located on the
ground floor terminal, is on call
24 hours a day, seven days a
week.
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tre has been established at CX,
responsible for overseeing the airline’s new aircraft and products.
To be managed by HAECO, the
centre was conceived as a result
of the increased complexity and
diversity of CX’s fleet. The objective of the centre is to reduce the
number of cabin defects and related inflight service failures.
The result will be an improvement in the passenger experience
as well as a reduction in maintenance and passenger compensation costs.
“The introduction of new seats,
cabins and inflight entertainment
in First, Business and Economy
cabins, as well as the imminent delivery of brand new aircraft types,
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A new Cabin Management Cen-
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Airport stars honoured for service excellence
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FRONTLINE: Airport staff gather to receive thanks from AHQ for their high levels of service.
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The Airports department paid tribute to 23 airport staff from Hong Kong and various outports
last month for their dedication in providing the
highest level of customer service to Cathay Pacific passengers.
Unlike previous years, where the award was
tagged to the ASM Conference, this year’s event
was a standalone function. Catalina’s, with its
magnificent views of the Hong Kong International
Airport, provided the ideal setting for the presentation ceremony.
General Manager Airports Anna Thompson
praised the awardees for their commitment to
service excellence and said they have helped CX
to “deliver superb safety standards, outstanding
service and excellent products to our passengers”.
“We believe there are many attributes to Cathay’s profitable growth, but there is no doubt
our people are the most important element,”
Anna said.
A new DVD produced in association
with Cathay Pacific shows a side of
Hong Kong far removed from the usual skyscraper-and-shopping cliches.
Explore Wild Hong Kong! goes beyond the busy cityscape to discover
the natural diversity and scenic
splendour of the city.
Primarily aimed at tourists – but
equally interesting for residents – the
programme takes viewers deep into
the wilds of the New Territories, explores the rugged charm of Lantau
and highlights some of the great walks
just minutes from dense urban areas.
The DVD, produced by Asiatic Marine in conjunction with Dr Martin
Williams and sponsored by CX, is
on sale now at CXcitement outlets,
priced at HK$60. Plans are afoot to
show the programme on flights and
make the DVD available to passengers through inflight sales channels.
Dr Williams, a local writer, photographer and ecological consultant,
says the idea for Explore Wild Hong
Kong Kong! grew out of his involvement with Environment Manager
Linden Coppell in the Sustainable
Tourism Task Force.
“In one meeting we were coming
up with suggestions for raising the
profile of local nature tourism and
Linden said ‘what about a video?’
I thought it was a great idea,” he says.
Charles Frew, Asiatic Marine Director and Explore Wild Hong Kong Kong!
presenter, was also keen on the idea,
and as the momentum grew CX was
approached and agreed to back the
production.
“Hong Kong is our home and we
are delighted to be able to show some
of its diversity,” says General Manager
Marketing Charlie Stewart-Cox.
Linden says the 28-minute DVD,
which comes with a printed guide
to some of Hong Kong’s best walks,
dovetails with the airline’s environmental goals.
“We are always keen to promote
the green side of our home city, ” says
Linden.
Proceeds will go to the CX-backed
Asian Waterbird Conservation Fund.
11
outports
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>>> news focus
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Prime Minister praises CX
Bahrain
Going back to
their roots
Chief Executive Tony Tyler flew to Bahrain last month to
meet with HE Prime Minister Sheikh Kahlifa bin Salman Al
Khalifa, who praised the airline for its role in promoting
travel and tourism between Hong Kong and the kingdom.
Joined by HE Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s
Deputy Prime Minister, the Prime Minister outlined
Bahrain’s commitment to encouraging aviation interests
in the kingdom and commended the good relationship
between CX and Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air.
Tony in turn thanked the Prime Minister for the
continued support CX has received from the Government
of Bahrain and congratulated him on being awarded a
UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour for his leadership role in
improving the living standards of Bahrain’s people.
The North America team held an orientation event re-
Wham, bam,
thank you fam!
Sydney
A new era in Sydney
As reported in last month’s CX World, Chairman Chris Pratt was
in Sydney early last month to open the new CX regional office in
Swire House.
The office opening began with Chris cutting a ribbon and
then followed the Chinese custom with an energetic and noisy
lion dance, that spread goodwill blessings as it wound its way
through the premises.
The opening was hosted by General Manager South
West Pacific Ivan Chu, with CX staff joined by guests such as
Jenny Wallis, Director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade
Development Office in Sydney, and Bill Rothery, Chairman of
John Swire & Sons Pty Ltd and a former CX Australian GM.
The move, after 43 years in the former Swire House at 8 Spring
Street, was made right next door into the new Swire House at 10
Records were broken during the Penang State
Chinese Orchestra’s 10th Anniversary celebrations.
A total of 1,097 students performed at a concert
with special guest Frances Yip, earning a place in
the Malaysian Guinness Book of Records.
Frances’s trip to Penang was sponsored by CX.
The singer was the airline’s ambassador in the
1970s and 1980s and actually performed at the
celebration when CXPEN came online 30 years ago.
A Nonya lunch was held in honour of Frances
and she’s pictured here with Penang’s District Sales
Manager Charles Wong on her left.
A media familiarisation trip to Hong Kong led by the
12
Two airlines, one team!
Hangzhou
Surabaya team in June generated better-than-expected
coverage.
Three national media organisations – two newspapers
and one radio station – joined the three-day trip which
aimed to promote CX and its Hong Kong home in the
buildup to the student holiday season and the Lebaran
celebration in October.
Manager East Indonesia Clement Tam says the
coverage was “excellent”, with two of the media
organisations publishing articles over three days.
“They covered the usual angles, such as cabin
products and lounges, but they also put a focus
on our high safety standards and the Halal food
preparation at CPCS,” says Clement.
“The whole trip cost us less than
HK$3,000 but if we had to pay for the
equivalent newspaper space and airtime we received it would have cost us
more than HK$100,000 in total – a very
attractive return on investment!”
Spring Street in the heart of Sydney’s financial area.
The pictures show (from far right) the lion arriving to bless
Ivan’s office, Chris Pratt and Bill Rothery with CX/Swire “man
about the building” Ibrahim Faour
(centre), and Customer Sales
Officers Maria Huynh and
Jenny Porter taking a break to
enjoy the celebrations.
Another star turn
for Frances
Penang
cently for 12 participants of the “In Search of Roots” programme, which helps young Chinese-American people
in their quest to learn more about their ancestry.
This is the second year CX has sponsored the programme, developed by the Chinese Culture Center in
San Francisco. The airline again provided tickets for
the young participants to fly to Guandong for a twoweek trip in which they visited their ancestral villages
in the Pearl River Delta region.
“It is clear that there is an increasingly strong desire
for Chinese-Americans to learn about their heritage
and we are delighted to be able to support them,”
says Senior Vice President Americas Alan Wong.
“Many of them have never been to China before,
so the journey gives them a chance to walk in their
ancestor’s footsteps. I know that we’ve made a difference in their lives and hope that future generations
will be inspired by their stories.”
This year’s “In Search of Roots” programme began
with the selection of the participants in February followed by a kick-off event in March.
Conducted over 12 months the programme involves an exploration of the participants’ Chinese
roots in the States, genealogy workshops and seminars on the history of the Chinese in America.
The programme culminates next Chinese New Year
with an exhibition of the their research and experiences at the Chinese Cultural Center.
As part of the ongoing integration of CX and KA,
the Hangzhou office recently hosted a series of
team-building exercises, bringing together staff
from six eastern China ports including Shanghai,
Ningbo and Changsha.
The June event included a workshop designed to
discuss ways to increase productivity and efficiency
in dealings between the two airlines.
The seminar also provided an opportunity for
staff to bid farewell to Aaron Chan (top right),
who is moving to Thailand as Country Manager,
and welcome Clarence Tai, who takes over as KA’s
Manager, Shanghai & Eastern China.
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outports
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A mover and shaker
France
The CX France team organised a golf
tournament for elite Marco Polo Club
members in the country at the end of June,
with the action taking place on the fairways
of a course in Chantilly, north of Paris.
Around 25 members enjoyed the
weekend break and it was Giang Leang
who took home the top prize on the day.
M. Leang’s golfing prowess has
earned him a free ticket on CX and an
invitation to play an MPO golf event in
Hangzhou in October.
XIAMEN
Frankfurt
Fam-tastic experience for
German agents
The CX Frankfurt Sales & Marketing team worked together
with the German office of the Hong Kong Tourism Board
for the “SuperCity MegaFam”, which targeted 120 German
travel agents who specialise in selling Hong Kong and
Asia.
The German agents (right) became fully familiarised
with the delights of Hong Kong during a packed
programme, with CXFRA Marketing Communications
Manager Tom Melzer welcoming the group and updating
them on what’s happening at CX.
A highlight of the tour was at an exclusive lunch in the
Peninsula’s Felix restaurant.
>>>
Port people
Getting MPOs into
the swing
Standing the test of time
Few – if any – people in CX can
match Tracy Lim’s track record,
having moved office five times and
changed jobs seven times during
the course of her career.
Tracy, Personnel & Admin Manager
Malaysia & Brunei, joined CX in
April 1974 as a Telephone Operator but soon moved to Reservations & Ticketing.
“My first job was with a small
travel agent. I joined CX because it would give me better
prospects, but I never imagined I would be a manager
one day,” says Tracy.
During her tenure Tracy has
worked with a grand total of 18
Country Managers – many of
whom rose to the top in CX. She
NUMBERS
has fond memories of them all
CRUNCH: Five
and remembers all of their quirks.
office moves,
“My first expat boss wrote very
seven roles, and
short but always effective letters
18 bosses. Tracy
while another was the opposite
has taken them
– his letters were very lengthy and
all in her stride.
I guessed he must have majored
in law!” she laughs.
Outside work, Tracy keeps herself busy on weekends by swimming and pottering in her
garden.
“I’ve been experimenting with my new toy too – churning out smoothies!” she smiles.
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On a Mainland mission
A tale of two cities
MOVING ON:
Raymond has fond
memories of his
time in Xiamen
but is now focused
on business in
Chengdu.
BANGKOK
Cathay Pacific Italy was the sponsor of “Il Drago e
la Farfalla”, a Vietnamese cultural festival staged
in the Italian capital with the backing of the local
government.
Pictured at one of the events are, from left, Silvia
Tagliaferri, Sales & Marketing Manager Italy, fashion
designer Minh Hanh and Mary Retzler, Marketing &
Communications Manager Italy.
Silvia and Mary feature in another shot (below), which
was taken at a dinner held when General Manager
Europe Philippe De Gentile-Williams visited Rome.
Also present were Country Manager Rob Bradshaw
and the Vietnamese ambassador.
Italy
Culture vultures
Raymond Ma has been seconded to Dragonair as Manager
Chengdu & Western China but
the city of Xiamen will always
hold a special place in his heart.
Raymond was responsible for
setting up the CX office in XMN
in 2005, which he recalls was a
challenging task. “It was my first
time managing such a big project that involved areas I was not
familiar with,” he recalls.
Everything from getting government approvals to completing business registrations presented a challenge.
“Head Office provided great
support, though, and things
worked out smoothly in the end.
I am happy to see Xiamen developing well,” he says.
Raymond is equally excited
about the potential of his new
port.
“Chengdu is an ancient city
with a population of 10 million
and many things to see,” says
Raymond.
Top of the list are sights such
as Mount Emei, the Leshan Giant Buddha (the world’s largest)
and the popular Chengdu Giant
Panda Breeding Centre.
“And don’t leave without trying the famous hotpot and spicy
Sichuan food!” he adds.
13
who, what, where
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minute with...
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Erica Peng
Inflight Sales & Logistics
Manager
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DESERT STORM: Richard (second from left) and his Gobi March team.
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The book of love
CX staff are getting into the publishing business
in a serious way, with the latest offering coming
from FOP’s e-Learning Development Specialist
Euterpe Chu.
Unlike other publications written by the
airline’s staff, Euterpe’s booklet - Easy Days in Slovenia – is very personal. It was produced to help
raise funds for the Caring for Children Foundation (CFCF), a local charity that helps the needy
in Mainland China through various education
and rehabilitation programmes.
“I first learnt about CFCF when a friend asked
if I could help out at their command centre in
Hong Kong, “ says Euterpe.
It was the same friend who knew about her love
of travel and photography and asked Euterpe if
she could use her travel photos for a worthy cause.
“I couldn’t say no. After all, happiness is in giving,” says Euterpe.
Euterpe painstakingly selected some 30
photos from the thousands she took in Slovenia
to be included in the booklet. She composed a
Chinese poem to accompany the pictures and
even translated it into English for the benefit of
non-Chinese readers.
“Being in Slovenia was like being in a fairy
tale. I was in awe of the beautiful castles and the
serenity of Bled Lake. I was at peace with myself
and the world,” she sighs.
Staff who want to buy a copy of Easy Days
in Slovenia – and contribute to the CFCF – can
contact Euterpe at FOPEYC. There is no set price
for the book and all money donated goes direct
to the charity.
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READ ALL ABOUT IT: Euterpe
with the fruits of her labour.
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14
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Shopping malls. :P
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10. Where’s your favourite
hangout? ...
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I always believe it’s not where you
go but who you travel with that
makes a wonderful trip.
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9. Your dream destination
and why?
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I went to Lijiang in Yunnan
Province – such a beautiful and
peaceful place.
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8. What was your last trip
outside Hong Kong?
Following months of intense training CX’s Manager Revenue – Europe, South Pacific, Middle East
& India, Richard Sell, successfully completed the seven-day Racing the Planet event in the Gobi
Desert.
Richard and his team of four finished an impressive second in the team category placing them
joint 31st overall out of 180 runners. The event was as challenging as it was unforgettable.
The first four days were dominated by 40 kilometres of running across a diverse range of terrain including riverbeds (below right), dirt roads, sand dunes and mountain passes. Day five was
no easier, with an 80 kilometre run through dry desert, coupled with some treacherous river
crossings. Following a much-deserved rest day, the final challenge featured a 10 kilometre dash
through the city centre of Kashgar.
“It was tough but very doable, as long as you tackled it one stage at a time and managed to stay
injury-free, but once blisters and leg problems started your whole race could become a nightmare,”
Richard says.
Despite battling exhaustion, Richard and his fellow runners
maintained a positive outlook throughout the event.
“The big climb on day three was probably the hardest part,
but I was luckier than most in that my feet held up throughout,” Richard says. “Overall the experience was so energising,
we were able to motivate each other as we knew it was a great
experience and also a very important cause.”
Richard and his team managed to raise HK$200,000 for Spinal Research.
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Being able to travel around the
world so cheaply. Exploring the
world was my dream as a little girl
and now it is just a ticket away.
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7. What’s the best thing
about working for CX?
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Things as simple as a sunny day
or an email from a long lost friend
can make me happy.
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6. What makes you happy?
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I love Hong Kong food, especially
the Cantonese soups, which are
very tasty and healthy.
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5. Best food – Hong Kong or
Beijing?
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We can always find and create
beauty in our lives.
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4. The best thing about being
a woman is …
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Spas and shopping. My new job
in Inflight Sales gives me a good
excuse to do more shopping!
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3. What’s your latest
indulgence?
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Anything romantic, harmonious
or relaxing – Norah Jones, the
Carpenters and Singaporean
singer Stefanie Sun Yanzi.
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2. What kind of music do you
like?
A gruelling Gobi run
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I enjoy reading all kinds of
books because they broaden
my knowledge and perspective.
Recently I have been to a series
of lectures by Yu Dan, a Chinese
professor who interprets a classic
Chinese work, Analects of Confucius,
in her own insightful way.
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1. Who’s your favourite
author?
n
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One
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Welcome aboard….
CX World welcomes all new staff who joined in the month of June. Here is
a selection of the newcomers who recently came onboard
Elaine Chui – Cabin Crew Communications Manager
Elaine is no stranger to the airline world and returns having tried her hand, most recently, in
the hospitality industry.
“I used to handle public relations and issues management for British Airways and Qantas before
working for the Paua Group, which was in the business of wellbeing and beauty,” says Elaine.
“I have set a goal of meeting every one of the 6,931 cabin crew here at CX – so far I have met about 50!”
Raymond Chow – Procurement Executive
Raymond, who brings with him six years’ experience in the manufacturing industry, will be
working as part of the procurement team in Engineering.
“CX is such a well-known company and the challenge of working in the airline industry was
one I could not turn my back on. My first impressions of both the people and my role are very
positive,” he says.
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Kaff Chan – Flight Attendant
A recent graduate in architecture from the City University of Hong Kong, Kaff says his desire
to meet and help people is why he chose a career with CX.
“Every aspect of my training has been of great benefit and I cannot wait to represent Cathay
Pacific in a professional capacity as a Flight Attendant,” he says.
Brian Chan – CRM Analyst
Brian will be responsible for the coordination, development and operations of e-journey
services, such as Online Check-In, notiFLY, and flight schedules on mobile sites for cathaypacific.
com and dragonair.com.
“Cathay City is the epitome of efficiency, a work environment where we can dine, exercise, stay
in a hotel, locate ATM machines easily and so on. It really makes for a pleasant and productive
experience,” says Brian.
1. Elaine Chui – Cabin Crew Communications Manager
2. Raymond Chow – Procurement Executive
3. Kaff Chan – Flight Attendant
4. Brian Chan – CRM Analyst
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who, what, where
Farewell Raida after
41 wonderful years
Not many people can remember where they were or what
they were doing on 7 March
1966, but Raida Tsui can tell
you both – the date marked
her very first day at CX.
Fast forward to 5 July 2007
and Raida has just ended her
career at the airline, having
completed 41 years of service. She stayed in the same
department (Airports) and in HELLO AND GOODBYE:
the same role, Staff Adminis- Raida ends 41 years
trator, though back in 1966 of service at CX (above). In
her official job title was Typ- the 1960s all office staff
ist.
were required to wear CX
During her time at CX, uniforms (above right).
Raida was responsible for
monitoring headcount and
consolidating staff numbers, arranging permits, reporting work injuries,
supporting colleagues and general office administrative duties.
“I have been blessed to work for a company like Cathay Pacific for so
long,” she says. “Back in the 1960s the industry and airline travel in general was a true luxury so it has been such a pleasure to be able to provide
travel opportunities for my mother.”
Raida says among the many highlights during her 41 years has been
the understanding nature of all her bosses, of which she estimates there
have been more than 10, as well as the inclusive nature of CX and how it
has helped and involved her family.
Her brother, Paulo Chan, joined CX as a Freight Officer is 1968 and was with the company for almost 30
years, while her other brother, Erico Chan,
joined in 1973 and is currently Assistant
Manager, Dispatch, Training & Standards, Flight Operations.
A special dinner was held at the
Kwai Fong Maxim’s restaurant last
month for Raida’s colleagues to bid
her a fond farewell, and wish her a
well-earned retirement.
WE’LL MISS YOU: Raida Tsui and
General Manager HKIA Victor Ho
at her farewell dinner.
u
ristine La
d Ch
Chong an
t? Ricky
ye
re
e
th
.
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Are we
g on CX7
for landin
prepare
Flower Power!: Saying goodbye to Anna
Thomson, General Manager, Airport, who’s
leaving AHQ for the Singapore office.
May Air Force One be with you. ROM’s
Alberto Nanni and Flight Care Italy’s Sabrina
Santoprete are in good company.
s
nd Angu
Cecila a
,
n
n
y
L
,
ick
chorage
thy, Patr
le at An
h us! Ka
kan sty
s
la
A
Bear wit
e
tru
eted in
are gre
irpor t.
A
l
a
n
o
ti
Interna
Happy birthday to us! HKG’s Carol,
Elaine, Christine, Joyce, Winnie and Iris
celebrate a trio of birthdays.
Taking a break. Miko,
Ani, Anita, Alain and
Mandy
enjoying some quali
ty time in Surabaya.
Gather around. Taking a well-earned break from the
Mumbai office in Hong Kong’s famous Lan
Kwai Fong.
CX team is game on!
The more sedate side of S&R was on display on 10 June when CX
hosted an inter-hong game day featuring darts and cards.
In the darts event, staff from CPCS, ENG, ISD, PSD, FIN and REV
stepped up to the oche, with steady hands and keen eyes helping
them take second place.
In the card game, the CX team came third while Frank Fan (APD)
was champion in the individual event.
Anyone interested in the noble sport of darts is welcome to join
the practice sessions on Tuesday evenings at Dakotas – contact
Rudolf Wong on ENGWYH to find out more.
p. The ICM Help Desk
Helping those who hel
oy a pizza lunch.
team get ready to enj
er to say
Stuck in the middle. The crew gath
farewell to ISM Cindy.
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travel
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Natural wonder
Dragonair’s Kyle Yuen saw Mother Nature at her finest during
a visit to one of the world’s best known national parks
NATURAL BEAUTY: The pictureperfect snow-capped mountain
ranges that make Yellowstone such
a special place to visit all year
round (left and bottom). Steam
coming off the hot springs creates
a mystical appearance (above).
A place where the buffalo
roam (below).
Travel
bites
n Mount Fuji hiking
Take a break from shopping
in Japan and try scaling Mt
Fuji, which is open to climbers
now until 31 August.
Try starting from the fifth stage – take the
Fuji Kyuko line
to Fuji-Yoshida
station and
then a bus to
Fuji-san Gogo-me to get
there.
The walk is
between five
and seven
hours to get to
the top and about half that to descend and
there are pit stops all along the route.
Many people aiming for the summit
choose to walk through the night, reaching
the top shortly before dawn to take in the
spectacular view.
n Langkawi luxury
The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa is
offering CX staff a special room rate of
US$120 net through to 20 December.
The deal is for a deluxe room and
includes a free daily cocktail and a 20%
discount on all beverages in the Breeze
Lounge. Upgrades to deluxe garden and
sea view rooms are available for US$10 and
US$20 a night respectively.
More details on Travel Desk.
n Shopping heaven!
Yellowstone National Park, which straddles
Wyoming, Montana and Idaho in Northwest
USA, was the world’s first national park,
established in 1872 to preserve its amazing
natural beauty.
I learnt all about Yellowstone’s geysers, hot
springs and other geothermal features in
geography classes at secondary school, so it
was with great excitement that I joined with
some friends to explore this vast landscape in
April this year.
My geography teacher got it right: the
colourful hot springs are an amazing attraction
and the geysers, which can reach 55m high
when they erupt, create a feeling underfoot of
large explosives ready to unleash their fury at
any given moment.
Yellowstone has its own Grand Canyon, which
is also well worth a visit. Though not as large or
as well known as its Arizona sister, the 20-milelong canyon goes as deep as 1,200 feet, with
waterfalls providing a dramatic backdrop.
If you plan to visit Yellowstone don’t forget
Grand Teton to the south, which is best known
for its stunning mountain vistas, shimmering
alpine lakes and abundant wildlife. Buffaloes
roaming against the backdrop of the Rockies
might sound like an Old West cliché but it’s the
kind of image you can expect to find.
Allow plenty of time to explore the park. It
covers an area of about 9,000 square kilometres
so at least five days are recommended to visit
both Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Most of
the trails are well paved and flat.
A private vehicle is a must to get around once
inside the park as there is no transportation
available. The nearest major airport is Salt
Lake City International Airport – about five
hours’ drive away.
Lodging inside the park is not recommended
as it is often expensive and usually fully
booked. Cheaper options can be found in
Gardiner, Montana (North Entrance), open all
year, and West Yellowstone, Montana (West
Entrance), which is open from late April to
early November.
If you’re visiting Grand Teton, the town of
Jackson, Wyoming – just 30 minutes away
– offers a wide range of accommodation
options.
More details at www.nps.gov/yell/
Expect the best sale in the world at the
Hong Kong Shopping Festival 2007, which
coincides with celebrations for the HKSAR’s
10th Anniversary.
The summer sale promises a wide range
of products at low prices and there are many
HK$10 specials at participating bars and
restaurants.
All the details you need are at www.
discoverhongkong.com/hksf/
n Glacier cruise
Toronto ISM Lynn Chen wrote in to offer a
great suggestion for crew on layovers in
Anchorage.
Of all the things on offer, a priority should
be the once-in-a-lifetime experience of a
glacier cruise to Prince William Sound.
“It’s amazing to see the glacier up close,
watch huge chunks of ice dropping into the
ocean and see plenty of wildlife such as cute
sea otters, bald eagles and even whales!”
26 Glacier Tours (www.26glaciers.com) is
offering CX staff a 10% discount through to
the end of September.
Snap happy
Flight Attendant Ming Lo sent in this evocative shot of a
camel train silhouetted against the setting sun in Dubai
– grabbed during a desert safari on the her first trip to the
emirate last year.
She and fellow crew joined one of her ex-classmates, now
working for Emirates, for the desert adventure that started
with a bumpy ride in a four-wheel drive.
“After that we rode a camel, but only for a few minutes,
and then we enjoyed the lovely sunset you can see in this
photo,” says Ming.
The safari, which comes highly recommended by Ming,
finished with dinner and a belly-dancing show under the
stars.
Check out more of Ming’s pictures at www.fotop.net/
CheekyMonkey
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n Samui special
There’s a Thai treat for CX staff at the
Centara Villas Samui (formerly known as the
Central Samui Village) in Koh Samui, with
room rates of THB 2,250-3,600 through to
the end of October.
Accommodation is in spacious private
villas adjacent to a pristine beach. Rates
include American breakfast.
Email [email protected] [email protected]
or visit http://www.centralhotelsresorts.com/csv
SHOW US YOUR TIPS!
CX World welcomes staff travel tips from
across the network – email us at CCD#SCT