Cathay Pacific Airways (CX), the flag carrier of Hong Kong SAR, is one of the leading names in the aviation world and has been widely recognized as one of the best airlines in the Asia Pacific region. The operator, owned majorly by Swire Holdings, Air China (CA), and Qatar Airways (QR), operates flights to 83 destinations with a fleet of 180 aircraft.
From its operating base of Hong Kong International Airport, Cathay Pacific offers efficient connectivity to passengers within Asia as well as to Europe, North America, Oceania, and South Africa. One of the Oneworld Alliance founders has been lauded for its fantastic service across these routes and is also the pinnacle of flying for several pilots in the APAC region as well as around the world.
Cathay Pacific Pilot Salary
Cathay Pacific Second Officer Salary
Cathay Pacificâs second officers are their junior-most category of pilots. They are generally deployed on intercontinental long-haul flights and are shadowed by captains as well as first officers in their process of logging flying hours. CXâs second officers tend to be graduates from their own cadet program or graduates from independent flying schools.Cathay pays its second officers an annual salary starting from HKD 585,000 (approx. US$75,000) and guarantees them a minimum of 50 hours of flying hours per month. This figure is bound to increase depending on hours flown as well as experience within the airline.
Additionally, they are offered a monthly allowance of HKD 14,000 (approx. US$1,800).
Cathay Pacific First Officer Salary
Cathay Pacificâs first officers assist the captain in flying the airplane from point A to point B. They are responsible for carrying out safety checks of the aircraft pre-flight, confirming the flight plan with the commanders, and communicating with the air traffic controller. First officers with experience are also makeshift captains during the main pilotâs resting period.Cathayâs first officers earn an annual salary starting from HKD 897,000 (approx. US$115,000) and receive a monthly guarantee of 50 flying hours. As with every other category of pilot, the salary figure is variable in accordance with flight time and seniority in the carrier.
First officers are also paid a monthly allowance of HKD 20,000 (approx. US$2,600).
Cathay Pacific Captain Salary
Cathay Pacific captains are in charge of commanding the aircraft from the origin to the destination. They make critical decisions pertaining to the navigation, routing, and safety during the flight with the more senior individuals being tasked with training second officers, and first officers too, in addition to management of cabin crew as well as their cockpit colleagues.Cathay Pacificâs captains receive the highest base salary per year, starting from HKD 1,112,500 (approx. US$145,000). As in the case of first officers and second officers, they are provided with a minimum guarantee of 50 flying hours per month whereas the base salary can increase depending on seniority, flying hours, and aircraft type flown.
Captains are also entitled to the highest amount of monthly allowance, HKD 28,000 (approx. US$3,600).
Benefits Enjoyed by Cathay Pacific Pilots
Cathay Pacific Airways offers its pilots with a fantastic salary package but moreover, the following non-monetary benefits are offered to them.- ANNUAL LEAVE â CX offers 21 annual leaves to its second officers and 28 annual leaves to its first officers whereas captains receive 35 paid days off in a year. In addition to paid time off, pilots are also given a sick leave quota of 12 days in a year and are entitled to public holidays (with compensatory offs if working) in accordance with the Hong Kong calendar.
- DISCOUNTED TRAVEL â Pilots and their dependents are entitled to discounted fares on the Cathay Pacific network as well as with their codeshare partners. This includes premium classes of travel and an unlimited quota of tickets.
- MEDICAL COVERAGE â Cathay Pacificâs pilots and their families are provided with a robust medical insurance plan. The aviators themselves receive comprehensive, globally valid coverage, and any medical expenses away from the Hong Kong base are also fully taken care of.
- EDUCATION ALLOWANCE â An education allowance besides the salary package is made available to pilots with children up to the age of 21. This ensures that school and university fees are taken care of within the Hong Kong SAR region for all students.
- BONUS SCHEME â Cathay Pacific has a bonus pool that entitles all pilots to performance-related payments at the end of the financial year. A calculation is made depending on the individualâs as well as companyâs progress and in most cases, a handsome packet is paid.
- PENSION SCHEME â Pilots employed by Cathay Pacific have the opportunity to agree on a pension plan with the airline. This ensures that they are continued to be paid after retirement though a sacrifice from the present compensation needs to be made for it.
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