Cathay Pacific Airways pilots entered the second day of a "work-to-rule" labor action yesterday with the airline reporting at least 28 flights had been delayed.
It was unclear how many of the delays were caused by the pilots' slowdown, which began Tuesday after negotiations over pay and working conditions collapsed last week.
The Hong Kong-based company said in a statement that 25 of its 157 flights were delayed for 15 minutes or more on Tuesday, while three flights experienced delays yesterday morning.
"Some of these delays appear to have been caused by pilot industrial action," it said.
The worst delay involved a flight, originally a nonstop, that arrived more than five hours late early yesterday after making stops in Vancouver, Canada, and Osaka, Japan, due to a pilot's illness, the airline's Web site reported. A passenger who missed his flight to Taiwan as a result was irate.
"We can only wait. They couldn't ask us to jump into the sea and swim back to Taiwan, could they?" the man, surnamed Chan, told the ATV television network.
Airport Authority spokesman Chris Donnolley said there were no signs of serious disruptions at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport. The Civil Aviation Department also reported no significant delays.
The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association, representing 1,260 of Cathay's 1,600 pilots, has asked its members to strictly adhere to standard schedules and procedures -- such as reporting to work not earlier than the required 80 minutes ahead of the scheduled takeoff time.
John Findlay, the union's general secretary, said pilots would not intensify their action but he predicted the troubles would gradually build up over the next several days.
Cathay said it would handle disruptions by chartering aircraft and rebooking passengers on other airlines.
Pilots accuse Cathay of discriminating in terms of pay and treatment based on where or when they were hired. They also contend that constant scheduling changes by the airline cause fatigue.
Cathay says pilots are asking for pay increases of up to 32 percent, far above the maximum 10.5 percent it offered in its latest proposal.
The airline has since withdrawn that proposal, which demanded the pilots rescind plans for labor action and pledge not to conduct any further actions for the full four years covered by the agreement.
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