2023 Cathay Pacific discrimination scandal
| Industry | Airline |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
Key people | Ronald Lam (CEO) |
The Cathay Pacific discrimination controversy—sometimes ironically referred to as the Carpet Airline Discrimination Incident—centered on accusations of biased conduct by flight attendants toward passengers aboard Cathay Pacific Flight 987, traveling from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport on 21 May 2023.
Timeline
An audio clip emerged online on 23 May 2023, capturing Cathay Pacific flight attendants seemingly ridiculing a passenger’s limited English proficiency. This sparked significant backlash from Chinese media outlets and online communities. In response, Cathay Pacific issued a public apology on Chinese social media platforms, announced the suspension of the involved personnel, and initiated an internal probe to investigate potential breaches of company policies and ethical standards. The airline also reiterated its dedication to delivering excellent service.
Despite the apology, numerous mainland Chinese netizens perceived it as lacking sincerity, derisively renaming Cathay Pacific as 'Carpet Airlines.' Criticism targeted the apology’s origin—posted from Beijing rather than Hong Kong—and its exclusive use of simplified Chinese on Weibo, leading to demands for a comprehensive apology in both Chinese and English across all official channels.
The initial complainant confirmed communication with Cathay Pacific’s customer service director and insisted on receiving a formal apology from the implicated flight attendants before retracting her online statements. Facing increasing public pressure, Cathay Pacific issued an official apology on Weibo, reaffirmed the suspension of the crew members involved, and pledged to disclose investigation findings within three days.
As public outcry intensified, Cathay Pacific terminated employment of the three accused flight attendants. CEO Ronald Lam delivered a public apology and committed to spearheading a cross-departmental review encompassing service procedures, training programs, and operational systems to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Following these developments, a Xiaohongshu user launched personal attacks against the whistleblower, questioning her demands for Mandarin communication given that one attendant was not a native English speaker. This commentary contrasted sharply with Cathay Pacific’s formal apology and contributed to doubts regarding the airline’s genuine remorse.
The whistleblower responded by clarifying that her original complaint never mentioned the nationality of any crew member and speculated that the abusive post likely originated from one of the involved attendants. She criticized their refusal to acknowledge the discriminatory nature of their behavior.
Reactions
On 24 May 2023, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee remarked that the episode had "offended compatriots both in Hong Kong and on the mainland." CEO Ronald Lam issued an additional apology in Mandarin and announced plans to personally oversee a taskforce aimed at reviewing and strengthening the company’s code of conduct.