Cathay Pacific denies firing cabin crew over row between mainland passenger, Cantonese couple

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has denied firing or issuing a warning to any flight attendants over their handling of a row between a mainland Chinese passenger and a Cantonese-speaking couple, contradicting a claim by the woman involved.

The airline issued the clarification after it banned the couple following complaints from the mainland passenger that they had insulted her and made discriminatory remarks during a flight from Hong Kong to London on Tuesday last week.

“Cathay Pacific Airways clarifies that it has not warned or terminated any flight attendants in relation to the incident,” Cathay said on Tuesday.

It said earlier that the in-flight service manager had issued two “serious” verbal warnings to the two disruptive passengers, adding that the pair would be banned from boarding any Cathay flights in future in accordance with rules.

The airline issued the clarification after the mainland traveller told a local media outlet on Monday that Cathay had said to her that it had warned a flight attendant involved in the handling and would conduct a review.