A magazine for staff and friends of Cathay Pacific Airways 747s exit Frankfurt End of long﹣haul flights in sight news How the trainee scheme has evolved Middle East delights Memorable side trip to Abu Dhabi travel Leaders in engineering features Emi scores senior sommelier cert Professional wine lover who, what, where Page 2 Page 8 - 9 Page 14 Page 16 FREIGHT EXPECTATIONS October 2013, Issue 210 Freighters fly in as Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal starts full operation • See page 5
Transcript
A magazine for staff and friends of Cathay Pacific Airways
747s exit FrankfurtEnd of long﹣haul flights in sight
news
How the trainee scheme has evolved
Middle EastdelightsMemorable side trip to Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, 8 October was a red-letter day for Frankfurt when the team handled a Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft for the last time.
Now all daily CX flights to the city are being operated by Boe-ing 777-300ERs.
The Jumbo has been used for Frankfurt since the passenger route launched in April 1984, and many will be sad to see the iconic aircraft go.
But times are changing and CX is continuing to withdraw the 747s from long-haul service as more of the highly efficient 777-300ERs join the fleet.
“It is quite a mixed feeling here seeing the Jumbo off the Frank-furt route. The 747 fleet has been serving the route for the last 29 years leaving plenty of good memories and stories among
staff members and our frequent flyers,” said Country Manager Germany Tony Sham.
“While it is sad to say goodbye to good old friends, the team is also very excited to welcome the younger, more efficient 777-300ER with the new seats. We see it a good opportunity to showcase our efforts in con-tinuous product improvement to keep enhancing the customer experience.”
CX announced an acceler-ated retirement programme for the passenger 744s in May 2012 and since then eight of the origi-nal fleet of 21 have gone.
Five were retired this year and under the current plan six more will go next year, leaving just sev-en in the fleet by the end of 2014.
General Manager Airline Plan-ning Navin Chellaram says the
744s will be removed from all scheduled long-haul services by September 2014.
“After that the remaining 744s will be operated around the re-gion on trunk routes with strong passenger demand,” says Navin, adding that there are no plans to change the current con-figuration.
Following the withdrawal from Frankfurt, the 744s are being deployed on just three long-haul routes: London, San Francisco and Johannesburg.
“From January 2014 all five daily flights to London will be op-erated by the 777,” says Navin.
“The 777 is already used sometimes on the Johannes-burg route, while the aircraft is used on one of the two daily San Francisco flights. From later next year, 777s will be used on all
flights on these routes.”The other four-engine aircraft
in the passenger fleet, the A340-300s, will continue to be used on thinner long-haul routes such as Rome, Moscow, one of the Paris flights and Auckland.
“We are working on a retirement plan for these 11 aircraft now, which will be driven largely by when the new A350s come in from 2016 on-wards,” says Navin.
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CX’s fleet expansion is ongoing. Two more 777-300ERs arrived in September, with one scheduled to be delivered at the end of October and two more coming in December.
An A330-300 arrives into Dragonair this month, and the final three of 13 Boeing 747-8F freighters will be delivered by the year end.
In 2014 CX is currently scheduled to take delivery of five more A330-300s, all with a regional configuration.
Eight more 777-300ERs are scheduled for delivery, meaning CX will have 46 of the type.
Meanwhile, sister airline Dragonair will take two more A321s. FOND FAREWELL: The local team hosted a farewell bash for the Jumbo jet as it flew out of Frankfurt for the last
time.
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Climate change remains an issue of huge concern and we in the aviation industry recognise that we can contribute to tackling the problem.
Our industry – perhaps more than any other industry – has shown a great commitment to facing up to climate change, and through our industry association, IATA, we have set aggressive targets for reducing emissions. A lot of good work has been done to come up with the most appropriate solutions for reducing our environmental impact, from fleet modernization to improved operational techniques and the development of biofuels.
Aviation has always accepted the need for some kind of scheme to incentivise reduced emissions but our argument has always been that this scheme needs to be a global market-based mechanism and not a hotchpotch of schemes set up by individual administrations. That is why we objected so vehemently to the European Union’s setting up of its own Emissions Trading Scheme.
So it was very welcome news that came out of Montreal earlier this month, when delegates representing 191 governments at the ICAO Assembly agreed to proceed with the development of a global market-based measure addressing emissions from international aviation.
This will be the first comprehensive agreement on climate change for any global industrial sector and it represents a huge leap forward. Our industry has been advocating such a scheme since we developed the first global industry targets five years ago. We now have an in-principle agreement on a global scheme and timeline, as well as the building blocks needed to deliver it.
In a nutshell, the ICAO resolution commits governments to develop a global market-based measure for aviation emissions from 2020, which will be decided at the next ICAO assembly, scheduled for 2016. The next three years will be spent designing the elements of such a scheme, including standards for the monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions and the type of scheme to be implemented.
At Cathay Pacific we have been clear about our own environmental commitments so we are naturally supportive of the ICAO agreement. With the industry commitment to carbon neutral growth from 2020 and our own CO2 targets firmly in place, we are on the right path towards a more sustainable future for aviation.
John Slosar
MEXICAN TOAST: Director Cargo James Woodrow, Consul-General Alicia Buenrostro Massieu and some 80 guests celebrated the launch of the new Guadalajara service at Socialito in Hong Kong.
The efforts made under Cathay Pacific’s sustainability strategy have been acknowledged by the airline’s inclusion on one of the world’s leading sustainability indices.
CX has been included on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the first time following a detailed assessment.
In addition to environmental performance, where it was rated well above the industry
average for its environmental policy/management system and environmental reporting, CX was also assessed on everything from brand management and anti-trust policies to risk management, fleet management and corporate philanthropy.
“The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices are a highly respected tool for assessing an organisation’s performance across key areas and it is a great honour to be included,”
says Head of Environmental Affairs Mark Watson.
“The ratings given by DJSI analysts will provide motivation to further improve on our sustainability efforts.”
The DJSI are recognised as the leading global sustainability benchmark, tracking the stock performance of the world’s leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria.
Membership of the DJSI is by invitation only and is based on both company market capitalisation and overall performance scores.
CX is now one of only three Hong Kong companies to have listings on the Dow Jones, Hang Seng and FTSE4Good indices, MTR and Li and Fung being the others.
To find out more, visit www.sustainability-indices.com.
CX is fully on track for the launch of two new routes this month – one a freighter service to a fast-growing market and the other a new passenger route that will take travellers to one of the world’s most exotic leisure des-tinations.
First to launch is the new twice-weekly freighter flight to Guadalajara in Mexico, with the inaugural service departing Hong Kong on 19 October and flying via Anchorage and Los Angeles to GDL.
After two hours on the ground the Dash 8 freighter will head back to Hong Kong, carrying consignments such as auto-mobile parts, perishables and electronics and marking the de-velopment of a new trade lane between two of the world’s most dynamic regions.
“This is a new country for us where we’re dealing with a dif-ferent language – Spanish – and different laws and procedures,” says Fred Ruggiero, Vice Presi-dent Cargo, Americas.
“We have had to educate our-selves on the country’s require-ments at the same time as letting people know what CX is all about and what we can offer.”
All obstacles have been over-come and the port is ready for launch. Hermes will be respon-sible for all commercial activities,
with one of its staff, Janet Reynal, working as CX’s Cargo Sales Manager in Mexico.
Hercules will be responsible for operational activities, while the sole warehouse in GDL is oper-ated by WTC.
“We are all very excited about this move into the Mexico market – a big thank you to everyone for their hard work,” says Fred.
A lot of effort has also been go-ing into the launch of the latest passenger destination.
Flights begin to Malé, the capi-tal city of the Maldives, on 27 October and the team has had to overcome a number of hurdles, from setting up the check-in sys-
tem to finding space for the airport office.
“All issues have been resolved and prepa-
rations are now close to com-plete,” says Richard Kan,
Manager Op-erations Services – Airports.
Having got the systems in place,
local training is in progress until 22 October, while two full-scale simulations – on 23 and 25 Octo-ber – will test the readiness of the handling agents in Malé.
Universal Travel Services (UTS) and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) will provide su-pervision and ramp/check-in ser-vices respectively while Demrick International PVT Ltd will handle cargo services.
CX will have two staff – an Air-port Services Manager and Man-ager on Duty – to oversee the op-
eration in Malé.“They will only come onboard
after the cutover, so Vishnu Ra-jendran and Monica Badhwar from the India team will fill these positions in the interim,” says Richard.
STOP PRESS: Dragonair has announced that it will add its code to the CX Malé service. The code-share flights go on sale on 16 October for flights beginning from 27 October.
CX will add a fourth daily direct flight to Los Angeles from 1 June 2014, plus three additional weekly direct flights to Chicago from 2 August onwards.
These additional flights to North America come on top of CX’s recent announcement that it will launch a daily service to Newark from 1 March 2014.
The fourth LA frequency will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy seats.
All Chicago flights – also operated by the 777-300ER – offer Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class.
Meeting the teamjust got easier Popular ‘People and Service’ sites get fresh look and new features
The popular “Meet the Team” sites are getting a fresh new look from 15 October, with new features making it easier for the public to engage with the CX team.
The revamp of the mini-site and mo-bile site will feature a completely new layout and improved navigation, while evolving technology means the site will be quicker and easier to use.
One new feature that’s sure to prove popular is the “Ask the Team” func-tion, through which customers will be invited to take part in Q&A sessions.
“We trialled the Q&A idea previous-ly through social media and it showed that our customers really do want to engage with our staff,” says Brand Marketing Manager Donna Chen.
“Now we will open up the forum each week and invite people to ask questions on a whole range of topics,” Donna adds.
“It will be a more all-round engage-ment process which will high-light both the
individuality of our staff and the fact that they treat all our customers as individuals.”
Also new is another “Day in the Life” video, which for the first time is featuring a non-frontline staff – Han-son Lau, Assistant Technical Services Engineer (see below).
“Hanson takes us behind the scenes in the video, showing what’s happening in the cabin interiors team in ENG and demonstrating the com-mitment to teamwork and safety that underpins everything they do,” ex-plains Donna.
The revamp of the “Meet the Team” sites is the latest development in CX’s ongoing “People and Service” cam-paign and it will be accompanied by an advertising burst.
Print advertisements will launch on 15 October in major international newspapers, targeting the core mar-ket of frequent business travellers.
“The digital environment is becom-ing increasingly important so we’ll also be running banner ads and other promotional ele-ments through our key social media channels, targeting fans and those who want to know us more,” Donna says.
The refreshed “People and Service” site will include the pre-viously released TV commercials along with all the other “Day in the Life” videos.
See the revamped site at www.cathaypacific.com/people
Assistant Technical Services Engineer Hanson Lau says he felt “honoured and at the same time nervous” to be selected for the latest “Day in the Life” video as part of the “People and Service” campaign.
“I am representing the entire group of CX engineers, so whatever I say and do will directly affect how the outside world perceives us!” says Hanson, who works in the Cabin Interiors team.
Having felt quite uneasy at first being surrounded by lighting technicians, a cameraman, director, makeup artist and the like, Hanson soon slipped into
his starring role.“Once I got to know everyone
better the tension eased and it ended up being a wonderful experience!
“It’s good that passengers get to see the whole picture behind the airline operation in addition to the great service provided by our frontline teams. There is a lot my engineering colleagues do to ensure that our passengers can have a safe and enjoyable trip,” he says.
“It would be nice to think that this video will inspire more people to follow in my footsteps and join this wonderful family as an engineer,” Hanson smiles.
Eight months after the first piece of freight moved through the Cathay Pacific Cargo Termi-nal, the HK$5.9 billion facility is now a hive of activity, handling upwards of 30,000 tonnes of cargo a week carried on the three airlines in the CX Group.
Following a carefully man-aged phased transition, the ter-
minal finally became fully operational early in
the morning of 3 October. That same morning saw CX’s Cargo Hub team make the short move from their offices in SuperTermi-nal 1 to begin working out of the CPCT.
“The move to full operations is a real milestone for the CPCT team,” says Algernon Yau, CEO of Cathay Pacific Services Lim-ited (CPSL).
“With our advanced technol-ogy, enhanced workflows and
just-in-time operations, we
really can set a new service benchmark for this industry. I’d like to say a very big thank you to everyone who has helped us get to where we are now.”
The Cargo Hub team celebrat-ed its move to the new CPCT fa-cility with a pig-cutting blessing on 9 October.
General Manager Cargo Ser-vices Peter Langslow offered his congratulations to the Cargo Hub and CPCT teams in man-aging the transition from Hactl,
welcoming a new chapter for CX Cargo in its home hub.
“We can focus now on con-solidating the operation, and on driving forward with the oppor-tunities that are promised, of im-proved service and products for our customers,” Peter said.
Manager Cargo Hub Opera-tions TS Wong says his team is very happy with the new facility and looks forward to providing a better service for the airlines’ customers.
oneworld just keeps on growing! Following the addition of Malaysia Airlines
to its ranks earlier in the year, the alliance announced a double whammy on 1 October.
From that date Lan Colombia began offering the full range of alliance services and benefits as a oneworld affiliate.
On the same day it was announced that TAM would become part of oneworld from 31 March 2014.
All this is in addition to the induction of Qatar Airways at the end of this month, the introduction of SriLankan Airlines early next year, and US Airways’ intention to switch from Star to oneworld as part of its planned merger with American Airlines.
TAM’s decision to join oneworld is big news for oneworld, bringing Brazil’s leading carrier into the alliance and ensuring its position as the leading alliance for flights within Latin America and between the region and the US/Europe.
“While the old terminal was a common terminal designed to serve all airlines, CPCT has been tailor-made to suit the needs of CX, KA and Air Hong Kong, with a special focus on handling tran-shipment cargo,” TS says.
“We will now have the ability to implement special processes required for our own products – something that was hard to do in the old terminal.”
TEAM TRIUMPH: Members of IMT’s Architecture team give the thumbs up for the iCMG award.
“As the leading airline in Latin America’s biggest economy, TAM’s addition represents a significant landmark in oneworld’s journey to establish itself as the first choice airline alliance for frequent international travellers the world over,” says oneworld’s CEO Bruce Ashby.
The addition of Lan Colombia and TAM means that all passenger airlines in LATAM Airlines will be part of oneworld from 31 March next year.
TAM’s entry into oneworld will follow straight from its exit from the Star Alliance.
TAM has already begun work to ensure readiness for entry into oneworld, including a communications plan to brief members of its Fidelidade frequent flyer programme on the benefits and privileges they will receive from 31 March.
TAM serves 60 destinations in 16 countries in Latin America, the USA and Europe, with a fleet of 161 aircraft operating 800 departures daily.
both entrees are spicy? My niece, who is still a child, could not eat spicy food and she went through the flight without anything in her stomach, apart from some pea-nuts.
One could argue that she should have ordered a child meal. However, I don’t think pas-sengers are expecting both en-trees to be spicy. Is this put into consideration during the menu planning stage?
Clifford Kwok, CGO
Brendan Duffy, Catering Manager Planning & Concept Design says: Thank you for comments regarding the meal selection on a recent flight from Sapporo. When planning our in-flight menus we take into account the following.
• Time of departure and arrival: Determines the meal service types
Less defensive letters, please! Thank you for the August 2013 edition of CX World.
I’ve noticed improvements in the pictures – the photos of Chris Pratt, John Slosar and Ivan Chu in the results article on page 3 were well selected, with their facial expressions showing the right amount of optimism and concern on the progress and direction the company is taking. I suggest more of this kind of pictures rather than the bland group pictures that are still the norm in the paper. These detract from the quality and don’t do justice to the individuality of CX staff.
The Letters to the Editor section could still be improved and given more space. The replies can be better written and not seem so self-righteous. The current replies have too much of a defensive tone, and place too much emphasis on the correct ways of management. There may be no other option, but a softer touch would be appreciated.
Engineering staff
Keeping timeI am struck by the fact that we not have a clock in the CX City reception area or lobby. For an airline, this would make a great centrepiece. We could also have several clocks showing the time in our key destinations (like you see in hotels and banks around the world). Another idea would be to find a sponsor willing to mount a clock. For example, there has been a recent collabo-ration with Breitling.
Mike Richards, FOP
Jerry Tam, Buildings & Facilities Manager, replies: Thanks for your letter. We do not have a clock display in our reception area, keeping our brushwing logo as our centrepiece instead. Your suggestion is something we will keep in mind in view for future needs at Cathay City.
Too hot My parents and friends were recently on CX581 flight from Sapporo to Hong Kong. On the flight, there were two choices for the main course: “Pan-Fried Beef in Satay Sauce” and “Chicken with Sesame Curry”.
Is there a particular reason why
• Length of flight (long, medium, short, ultra short): Determines the service offering
• Flight sector: Influences the ethnicity of meals
• Religious or dietary requirements: Determines ingredients to be used
On Sapporo to Hong Kong flights, we offer Economy passengers a meal tray with appetiser, cookie, bread and butter together with a choice of two hot meals. Both of the hot meals you mentioned are actually not spicy. The Pan-Fried Beef in Satay Sauce is a mild Chiu Chow-style dish while the Chicken with Sesame Curry is a Japanese-style sweet curry.
Our ultimate goal is to provide all our passengers with a satisfying inflight meal service at all times.
I moved to KA house for a new role recently, and discovered that the frequency and the capacity of the HAS bus is not sufficient to match the passenger demand, especially during the peak lunchtime hours. I understand that some staff relocated from Cathay City to KA house recently, accounting for the rise in demand.
I’d also like to clarify the eligibility criteria for HAS bus services. I find that people not working at KA House or CNAC can still get on the bus without having their permits checked.
Most appreciated if someone can review the situation and apply some stricter control measures. I’ve waited for up to 30 minutes before I can take the bus back to the office. Thanks.
IMT staff
Johnnie Lau, Transport Service Su-perintendent, says: Thanks for your comments. Currently, the shuttle services between the airport and KA House are operated by our subsid-iary HAS. We understand that there is an increased need for colleagues to commute between the airport and KA House, especially during peak times. We are studying the use of larger buses during regular meetings with our operator.
We offer shuttle bus services for the convenience of our colleagues and our visitors. Of course, visitors and guests of our subsidiaries are welcome to use our shuttle services as well. HAS will step up identifica-tion procedures during peak times to better serve eligible users.
Mark Tindall, CX World Managing Editor, replies: First, thanks for your comments regarding our choice of pictures for the interim results issue. Karen Yung has recently joined our team as in-house photographer and we will soon see more dynamic and engaging photos used across all in-ternal communication channels.
Regarding your other point, the Feedback page is an important tool for building two-way engagement within the company. We can’t give any more space for your letters at this time but will consider doing so for the upcoming revamp of CX World.
We don’t have any control over what departments say in response to letters, but if staff feel the answers are too evasive or defensive, they can tell us through these pages!
Left out?
CX has had great TV ads over the years. However, I find that most TV ads feature flight attendants and female staff only. Will the Marketing department consider inviting ground staff or male staff to join the TV ads?
Airport staff
Donna Chen, Brand Marketing Man-ager, replies: First of all, thank you for your question. In our previous People and Service campaigns, we featured different disciplines of staff, including ground staff, cabin and cockpit crew as well as many behind-the-scenes staff across different media channels. This includes both male and female staff. We appreciate your suggestion and we will consider it in future cam-paigns.
Gym mannersI am a regular gym user at Cathay City and I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of etiquette and basic manners shown. People are constantly leaving weights on the bars when they have finished, and not putting away mats and equipment they have used.
This is frustrating on two points; firstly, when you finish using the weights and remove them from the bar, it lets the other gym users know that you have finished and they are now free to use it. Secondly, it is just basic courtesy.If you are big enough to lift the weights, you are big enough to put them back!
Flight Operations staff
Siem Reap, known to many as a “temple town”, will come online by the end of this month. The city will become the 13th destination to have been launched or resumed by KA since April 2012, as well as the airline’s second destina-tion in Cambodia.
The commencement of the new service will also coincide with the 20th anniversary of KA operations in Cambodia.
“We eagerly look forward to the launch, which is a milestone for Dragonair,”
says GM Southeast Asia Wil-
son Yam. “As the closest gateway to Angkor Wat, one of the most famous UNESCO heri-tage sites, Siem Reap is undoubtedly a must-go destination for many tourists.”
Apart from the complex of temples at Ang-kor, Siem Reap also captures tourists’ hearts with the unique architecture, traditional street food and myriad cultural attractions.
The KA team in Cambodia is now work-ing closely with various departments in Hong Kong to set up airport facilities and prepare for a smooth kick-off.
Country Manager Cambodia Jansen Staf-ford says: “This is a very exciting time for all of
TEAMWORK IS KEY: Patrick Watts (left) says hockey and piloting share similarities.
Flying an aircraft counts on teamwork, which is also the cornerstone of many sports. Dragonair A320 Captain Patrick Watts explains why his passion rests in a game that’s gaining popularity locally – hockey.
“Hockey is a great sport that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages, and you can keep playing for longer than say rugby or football,” says Patrick. “When I arrived in Hong Kong, I had the chance to join the Hong Kong Football
Club (HKFC), where I played hockey.”
But Patrick is more than a player – he has been the Chairman of the HKFC Hockey 6s for four years. And he’s now
pioneering a new form of the sport in Hong Kong.
“Hockey has two main forms, 11-a-side played outdoors on an artificial pitch and five-a-side played
indoors on a hard floor similar to a basketball court. The
organisers of world hockey have announced that
a five-a-side hockey format will be
trialled at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing next year,” Patrick says. “Therefore, we obtained approval from the International Hockey Federation to organise a five-a-side tournament alongside the traditional HKFC Hockey 6s.”
In the 2013 HKFC International 5s tournament, thousands of hockey lovers enjoyed a series of thrilling matches played by Olympic and international players at HKFC in Happy Valley.
“As Hong Kong has a strong track record of promoting short forms of major team sports, I hope Hockey 5s will also be successfully established here in the city,” Patrick says.
us. We are currently right on schedule with the launch and the necessary arrangements.”
In view of the growing traffic into Siem Reap, the new service will foster closer ties between Hong Kong and Cambodia.
“We have seen a big jump in visitors in re-cent years – last year, 2.2 million passengers came through Siem Reap airport – and we will be right amongst it with four flights per week,” Jansen says. “And there are more Cambodi-ans beginning to go on outbound travel. Our direct flight from Siem Reap will be a good al-ternative to Phnom Penh for many travellers in the north of the country.”
Engineering has always been the cornerstone of Cathay
Pacific’s operation. The airline has grown consider-
ably since its humble beginnings in 1946, when it only flew passengers and cargo out of
Shanghai in a war surplus Douglas DC3. Today the CX Group flies around the world with more than
180 aircraft. CX’s Engineering Trainee programme (ET) was cre-
ated to nurture aspiring and professional engineers to support the airline’s growing business needs. This steady stream of professional resources allows CX
to better respond to the changing business environment, ac-cording to Engineering Director Chris Gibbs. “The way we manage engineering has changed significantly
compared to when I first joined CX in 1992 – we utilise a lot more specialised services from external parties such as HAECO, Boe-ing and Airbus to deliver complete solutions,” says Chris. “The need for our expertise in managing these external parties to de-liver quality outcomes to us becomes increasingly important.”
At the same time, the Engineering department is constantly ex-panding as the business grows.
“Promotions in the past were based on technical excellence, but because of our changing requirements, the department now needs engineers who are not only technically proficient, but also have managerial and commercial knowhow,” says Chris. “With ETs, we’re training future leaders.”
When did you join?Back in 1998 as an ET after graduating from the University of Hong Kong.
Where did your career path take you afterwards?After completing the ET programme, I moved up the ranks as Assistant Engineer, Engineer, Senior Engineer, Manager and to my current position.
My career progression took me through different sections within Engineering, including Engineering Planning, Inventory Management, the Ultramain Project and Engineering Business Development.
How did the rotations help your career?They allowed me to appreciate the day to day operations and challenges of different functional units, as well as other areas of the business. I can use the knowledge I acquired along the way to map out the bigger picture and spot
When did you join?1994, when we were still at Kai Tak. At that time, the programme only lasted 1.5 years.
Before that, I studied Aeronautics at the University of Sydney. I graduated from the programme to specialise in avionics.
Memorable career moments?I was very fortunate to take part in the introduction and implementation of the personal TV project, which was only available on First and Business Class at the time.
I was also very excited to be the lead engineer Project of Betsy, which was our first fully flat bed in
How did you become interested in aviation?Joining “I Can Fly” opened my eyes to the fascinating world of aircraft engineering. On the strength of my “I Can Fly” experience, I studied in Mechanical Engineering at university.
How competitive was the ET selection process?My batch had four people, chosen out of more than 800 applicants! We had to go through four interview sessions.
How often do you rotate?I rotated roughly once every three months – about 10
issues and opportunities. In my current role, understanding the
expectations of external and internal customers enables me to develop strategic thinking and effective business strategies.
My strong network within and outside the department allows me to be a more influential and effective senior manager.
What are the most important takeaways from the ET programme?It equipped me with a wide spectrum of know-how and experience within and outside CX Engineering that are essential for career development.
I understood the importance of collaboration across organisational boundaries, and the need to be bold in driving solutions.
I can still remember replacing an aircraft’s navigation light when the temperature dipped below -10 degree Celsius! I always remind myself to appreciate the team’s great work in challenging circumstances.
First Class.
How has the ET programme changed? The individual quality of trainees is much more multi-dimensional than before.
In the past, the programme was less structured, so we had to fight tooth and nail to prove our competence.
What’s your advice for aspiring trainees?Attitude is everything. Knowledge is important but secondary, and can be acquired through on-job training.
Since 1985, 106 ETs have come through the system, and most have remained. Out of the 35 who left, eight joined other depart-ments in CX, KA and CPSL, as well as other airlines.
The Engineering Trainee programme in its current structured form – which includes formal recruitment in Hong Kong and overseas, a vigorous interview process and stints at HAECO and line stations – began in 1990.
The programme hit a milestone last year when it received Scheme A accreditation from the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. The accreditation implies an even more structured approach and industry recognition, making CX’s trainee pro-gramme even more attractive for engineering university gradu-ates.
Today, ETs go through two years of training. Often rotated to a new team after a few weeks, trainees learn about quality
assurance, maintenance support, planning, procure-ment and inventory operations before graduating from the programme as Assistant Engineers.
“The trainee programme meets future man-agement needs, but the department’s manageri-al ranks are not exclusively for them – this strikes a good balance between ETs and other hires,”
Chris says.
When did you join?In 1990, when the programme started to take shape. Because the programme was less structured, we just discussed among ourselves which team to go to. The spirit of the programme is still the same in essence though.
How was CX Engineering different then?The company was much smaller at the time, so I had to
learn a lot very quickly. When I joined, Engineering’s technical staff consisted of 40 to 50 people. Now the
department has 400 to 500!
Memorable career moments?Introduction of second-hand Lockheed Tristars, Boeing Converted Freighters for Air Hong Kong and the Boeing 777’s entry to service.
How are you involved with the programme now?I take part in the selection process, as well as compiling performance appraisals and
overseeing the content of the programme. We also introduced a mentorship programme four years ago.
What are the challenges in ENG now?The high expectations of passengers. They expect everything on their flight to be perfect – and rightly so – from on-time performance to the recline angle of their seats. As engineers, our challenge is servicing the airline to ensure consistency across the board.
What are the qualities we look for?Those with a real passion for aviation. Taking part in youth aviation programmes is important. These include CX’s “I Can Fly”, KA’s “Dragonair Aviation Certificate Programme” and “Youth Aviation Academy”, as well as lectures hosted by the Royal Aeronautical Society and Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.
times in total. The most memorable was on-the-job training at HAECO and HAESL, where I could really see how a part fits into the whole.
How do you think the programme helps your career?Being an ET allows me to have a better sense of the whole of Engineering, as well as the company. I can make contacts across the company quickly and have also learnt soft skills, such as better communication.
What do you plan to specialise in?Hopefully Quality Assurance and Cabin Engineering.
Nurturing a passion for aviation is al-ways at the heart of CX, and in June the airline donated unwanted seats and galley equipment to further the education of students in Hong Kong.
Thirteen seats from a Boeing 777-300 and various items of galley equip-ment, including meal carts and drinks carts, were donated to the Open Uni-versity of Hong Kong, which has been collaborating with CX’s Inflight Servic-es Department to run its “Professional Diploma in Inflight Service” course since 2005.
“The new learning facility provides a cabin replica for students taking the inflight service diploma and other hospitality-related programmes to practise services skills in real-life sce-narios,” says Elaine Ng, OUHK Pro-gramme Director.
“This donation is another milestone
CX has presented more than 100 inflight sales items, many of them new and exclusive to the airline, to meet shifting demand in the mar-ket for more sophisticated items.
The new products include ac-cessories designed by local fash-ion icons, Christmas hampers, cosmetics, watches, jewellery and suitcases.
Close to a hundred of these products are exclusive to CX or the duty free market. Some are limited edition items. The full cata-logue now boasts more than 300 products.
CX is also offering price sav-ings for 25% of the products, as well as attractive incentives, such as the chance to win a free trip to Provence and special mileage re-demption offers.
This strategic expansion is aligned with changing inflight purchase trends, says General Manager Inflight Services James Ginns.
in the cooperation between the indus-try and the institute to nurture young talents.”
Opened in September, the cabin mock-up is located at OUHK’s brand new headquarters at the Kowloon Commerce Centre in Kwai Chung. The students undertake additional training at Cathay City after learning the basics at the OUHK’s learning centre.
The diploma programme jointly developed by CX and OUHK covers various mod-ules including aviation knowl-edge, an introduction to air-craft safety, language training and cabin service skills.
The objective is to en-hance students’ customer service skills and let them know more about the avia-tion industry.
“Sales for 2013 have been very strong, with 18% year-on-year growth as of August,” James says. “We’ve also observed close to 30% growth in individual pas-sengers’ spending. We’re pretty optimistic about the inflight sales market going forward.”
There are currently more than 1,000 CX passengers buying goods inflight every day, and around 35,000 per month. Aver-age spending on each inflight sales invoice has risen compared to last year.
“People are buying more of goods like watches and jewellery and moving away from traditional categories, like cosmetics and spirits, although the demand for the latter category is still big,” says James.
“We are trying to get ahead of that trend to make sure we’ve got product categories to suit the de-mand.”
The highlight of the new prod-
to homes in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
CX’s pre-flight order service, which ensures what passen-gers want is stocked on their flight and delivered to their seat, has grown 15.5% com-pared to last year.
For details about the new offers, check out inflight shopping mag-azine Discover the
Shop.
ucts is Black Diamond French Truf-fles, one of the world’s rarest and finest delicacies. After the passen-ger places an order, CX will ship the truffles directly from La Truffe du Ventoux in Provence to the cus-tomer in a few business days.
“I think it’s a very exciting time for the festive season, with so many new, special products that will only be available on Cathay Pacific,” says Tony Detter, Managing Direc-tor of Inflight Sales Group, which is CX’s inflight sales concessionaire.
“These truffles are almost im-possible to acquire even for res-taurants in Hong Kong, so we’re very glad to offer them to Cathay Pacific passengers during this special season,” Tony says.
Home delivery, launched by the airline a few years ago, has shown 18.5% growth year-on-year.
To give this service an ex-tra boost, from now until the end of the year, the airline is delivering items for free
(Clockwise from top left) Deseo Pendant and Brooch (Dorian Ho edition); Cashmere scarf by social enterprise Love + Hope; La Perla night dress; Vivienne Tam leather clutch.
SALES SPLASH: CX unveiled the new range of sales items for the fourth quarter at a press event held last month. More than 300 products are now on sale.
There was no shortage of touching stories at the latest Heart Awards ceremony.
The Heart Awards is a staff rec-ognition programme that acknowl-edges outstanding HKIA staff.
Among the day’s top winners was Supervisor Eric Yui, who won the In-dividual Diamond Award.
When Eric learned that an elderly couple transiting in Hong Kong had just lost their grandson, he kept them company until they boarded their flight, which was well after the end of his shift.
Eric also notified the Inflight Ser-vice Manager on board, as well as ground staff in Auckland, to ensure the passengers were well looked after for the entirety of their journey.
Customer Services Officer Mak Mak Leung was given the Individ-ual Gold Award for chasing after a suitcase that another MPO member carried off by mistake. “It’s great to know that my efforts are recognised by colleagues, because they know best whether we did a good job,” she says.
Customer Services Officers Tony Chan and Alice Kam won the In-dividual Jade Award for helping a passenger find his iPhone, which he left on the plane.
Tony, who went on board to search the passenger’s seat, raced back to the check-in counter to re-turn the smartphone to the passen-ger in person. “I was just doing the right thing,” says Tony. “I’m sure that my colleagues would do the same given the situation,” he says.
Seperately, a team of winners helped out at the boarding gate on 20 July, when CX255 swapped to an aircraft without Premium Econ-omy Class due to technical issues.
The team, led by Manager
On Duty Holly Hung, proactively screened out Premium Economy passengers who needed to ex-change boarding passes or receive downgrade compensations. The team managed to arrange every-thing within the hour.
It was a great surprise for the winners when Marco Polo Club Dia-mond member Daisy Yuen took to the stage to express her gratitude towards another winner, Supervisor Cony Chan.
“I issued a redemption ticket for my elder daughter to Seoul, but mistakenly used the name of her
thanked us in person with a box of cakes,” says Cony, beaming. “I’m really glad that our efforts are ap-preciated by our premium custom-ers.”
This year’s Heart Awards, hosted at Lion Rock Café on 30 Septem-ber, had 16 Diamond Heart win-ners, 15 Gold Heart winners and 12 Jade Heart winners.
The winners received the most number of complements from pas-sengers and their superiors in the past year, showing that they dem-onstrated excellent service consis-tently.
younger sister,” Daisy says. “It was 6am when I got the phone call from Cony, just five minutes before the check-in closed at Hong Kong Sta-tion.”
Cony swiftly contacted the Marco Polo Club to refund the ticket and issue a new one for her daughter, at the same time sending her daugh-ter to HKIA, where the flight was still open for check-in.
“Cony kept me informed at every stage. She really saved the day,” Daisy says.
“I really didn’t expect Mrs Yuen to come because she already
PSS Phase 2 is not just a system change – it will transform the way CX and KA do business.
Phase 2 is a unique opportunity to change the way things are done, through business process re-engineering (BPR).
BPR improves efficiency by taking a structured approach in rethinking and redesigning an organisation’s processes.
It involves looking at the current way of doing things, then seeing how improvements can be made to create new processes.
Representatives from across different business units have been brought together to participate in BPR workshops, specially chosen for their knowledge and experience.
Experts on the new system and BPR are also involved.
These cross-functional teams allow individuals and groups from various departments to work together with a shared purpose – to improve current processes and address pain points for the business.
With different skill sets and talents, these teams have been empowered to make decisions that will shape the future of CX and KA, with the full support of senior management.
BPR for PSS Phase 2 is currently looking at over 60 core business processes across the areas of Passenger Acceptance, Arrival Services, Baggage Services, Boarding Services, Flight Control and Disruptions.
With the introduction of a new end-to-end system like the Altéa Suite, it is a great opportunity to look at the way things are done now, and see how the new system can improve them in the future.
Expect to hear more about the outcomes of BPR soon!
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE YOUNG(ER): Jessica Chan has officially taken over from Bob Nipperess as Employee Services Manager. The former Head of Customer Relations – who will now have her hands full serving staff – says: “I have massive shoes to fill, and it’s not going to be the same without Uncle Bob.” She adds jokingly that “Bob and I have a long running bet that I will retire before he does!” There’s still a chance of catching Bob at CX City though, as he’ll stay on to work on Personnel projects until next year.
STAR PERFORMERS: (top) General Manager HKIA Paul Loo with Heart Award winners and other HKIA team members; (left) DIamond member Daisy Yuen shares her heartwarming experience with Supervisor Cony Chan.
In late August, CX teams in Indonesia once again made the most of the annual Lebaran holiday, the country’s main travel peak, to boost business.
Lebaran, also known as Eid Al-Fitr in other countries, follows right after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The event is marked by two days of public holidays.
“It is common for people here to plan annual leave for one to two weeks combining the Lebaran holidays and the weekends,” says Patton Chan, Country Manager Indonesia.
“Many people go back to their home town to enjoy a break, while others opt to go abroad on vacation.”
CX was the first airline to operate extra sectors to cater for this seasonal demand, says Patton.
“We have been arranging extra flights since 2003. In fact, following our success, other airlines also began operating extra sectors for Lebaran.”
This year CX operated seven pairs of additional flights – five from Jakarta and two from Surabaya.
“Apart from Hong Kong, the key destinations included Mainland China, Japan, Korea and North America,” Patton says. “We were competing against other carriers for all these destinations, but the strength of the CX and KA network proved to be a real advantage to us.”
The sales teams in Indonesia put extra effort to ensure all seats were fully utilised to meet demand.
“To achieve this, our sales team had to closely monitor the hot destinations this season and figure out if any particular route needed extra promotion. It was a pretty stressful time for everyone involved,” says Patton.
The surge in traffic also led to challenges for operational teams.
“They did a great job during this busy period, despite having to work over the holidays,” says Patton. “At the end of the day, we’re happy to be part of our passengers’ Lebaran celebrations!”
Leisure traffic usually dips after Lebaran. The previous month also saw a considerable depreciation in the Indonesian rupiah that further dented Indonesians’ inclination to travel overseas.
“Luckily, business traffic has not yet been affected,“ Patton adds. “We just wrapped up an early bird promotion to secure leisure travellers who like to plan ahead.”
As for group traffic, Korea and Japan continue to be the most popular destinations. This year, however, CX Indonesia has teamed up with travel agencies to promote new itineraries in Mainland China, targeting travellers who have visited Beijing and Shanghai before.
“We have developed itineraries that explore the Muslim heritage in China. These itineraries should help us to capture more business,” Patton says.
PLANNING AHEAD: The Sales & Marketing team in Jakarta, anticipating the dip in leisure traffic after Lebaran, have put plans in place to capture more business.
Spotlighting the Taiwan teamThe CX and KA Taiwan team has launched a “Meet Our Team” campaign on the official Taiwan Facebook page. The campaign introduced the job duties of different colleagues, as well as sharing stories that demonstrated the spirit of “Service Straight from the Heart”.
The campaign proved popular with the local community, with several lucky fans chosen to visit CX’s working environment at the Tao Yuan International Airport in early September.
Fifth ‘I Can Fly’ con-cludes in VancouverFifteen students graduated from the fifth “I Can Fly” programme in Vancouver. Over eight weeks, students were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at CX’s operations and learned about the different jobs in the aviation industry.
The programme had the whole-hearted support of the CX Vancouver team, many of whom volunteered as “lecturers”.
The next “I Can Fly” kicks off in Toronto in September, while San Francisco will also launch its next programme this fall. Visit www.cathaypacific.ca/icanfly to find out more!
Great teamwork in Rome CX293 arrived at Rome’s Aeroporto di Fiumicino earlier this year and the cleaning lady found a small purse left behind on board. The purse was promptly passed to security. In the meantime, a Marco Polo Club member called, asking if the bag had been found on board. Luckily, to his great joy, the cash-laden purse was found and safely delivered back to him.
Pictured is Airport Services Manager Rome Alberto Nanni (right) and a representative from CX’s appointed security company.
Smooth moveThe Chennai airport team moved to a new terminal in mid-September. The big day had its share of drama – heavy rain and thunderstorm forced a Lufthansa flight to divert to Bengaluru, but a CX flight was able to land at Chennai shortly afterwards.
“A tremendous amount of work has gone into this move. I’d like to thank the team for rising to the challenge. It has not been an easy road,” says Manager Customer Services & Product Development – Airports Russ Fortson, hailing CX’s ability to land despite the adverse weather as a “good sign’”of things to come.
The team also took the time to celebrate by decorating the counter with flowers, making rangoli, and lighting lamps before operations started (pictured top). Passengers were invited to take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the team gave out chocolates at the counter.
Separately, the Customer Sales, Marketing and Pricing teams (pictured below) in Mumbai took part in a workshop titled “Play to Win” on 27 July. The workshop promoted out-of-the-box thinking.
Brigitte Griveau, Corporate Sales Supervisor in France, has been handling key accounts since the 1990s, but in her spare time she’s an artist.
“I’m rather shy, so I’ve always like drawing as a means of expression,” Brigitte says. “Drawing taught me how to observe people, how to capture the essence of their characters and mannerisms. Drawing also taught me how to look at nature – a great source of inspiration – differently.”
Drawing with a black pencil and Encre de Chine to start with, Brigitte then moved on to painting, using water colours, pastels, oils and acrylic.
Sculpting is her new passion. “I devote one or two week’s leave every year to take sculpture courses and learn different techniques,” says Brigitte.
“These take place in an inspiring and creative environment at the Granges de l’Abbaye de Port-Royal close to my home near Versailles. Several writers and thinkers were fascinated by this place – Pascal, Racine, La Fontaine and Madame de Sévigné, to name a few,” the enthusiastic artist says.
Today, the Granges (literally the Barns) is home to concerts, exhibitions and classes.
“The rush and stress of the modern world lead me to look for simpler things in life. Taking time to contemplate and concentrate on the execution of a creative piece is a good way to escape,” says Brigitte. “It also helps maintain the equilibrium of my life.
“As the poet Charles Cros said – art is long and time is short!” she adds, grinning.
Reservation Sales Supervisor Masooma Bahman is a very popular figure amongst colleagues in CX Bahrain.
“I have a close relation to each and every one of my colleagues,” says Masooma. “I enjoy interacting with people. I spend time talking and listening to them, and I’m always there should they need help.” Her optimistic and witty temperament also helps.
Nicknamed Mais, or Messy, by her colleagues, Masooma prides herself on living by her favourite motto – “nothing is impossible!”
“I’m willing to risk the things I fear as a mean to challenge myself,” she explains. “For example, although I have agoraphobia, I took the cable cars at both Tung Chung and the Ocean Park when I visited Hong Kong. It felt good to be able to overcome my fear and have fun on my trip!”
Masooma is an enthusiastic cook in her spare time. She recommends local Bahrain dishes machboos (meat served on a bed of steaming rice and redolent with exotic spices) and balaleet (sweet noodles served with scrambled egg).
She’s also an avid traveller, her footprints having covereds most countries in the Middle East.
“My most memorable excursion was in Lebanon where I saw snow for the
first time in my life,” she says. “Skiing down the snow-capped slopes was an unforgettable experience.”
PART TIME ARTIST: Brigitte sees creating art as a way to escape from the daily grind.
The Manila team got creative when they introduced the Premium Economy cabin to travellers departing from Manila.
The Direct Sales team called out to passengers to offer a special upsell rate for the Manila-Hong Kong sector at US$50, an effort that proved hugely effective.
Meanwhile, a fair share of passengers at the airport opted for a last-minute upgrade from Economy Class for US$60.
A Marco Polo Club member who was able to try the new service commented that the seats were spacious and allowed enough room to work, but wished that the inflight meal could be different from what is served in Economy Class. Another passenger wished that we could also offer an upsell rate for their onward flights. Another passenger liked that they were given priority boarding and had a separate check-in counter.
Gold member saves lives on board The Paris team is full of gratitude for a Marco Polo Club Gold member after he saved lives on board.
The first incident occurred in February last year, when the passenger, Pascal Ripaud – a trained French Red Cross paramedic – rescued a flight attendant who had fallen unconscious mid-flight.
The second rescue happened in June 2013, when he responded to an inflight announcement for medical assistance to find an elderly passenger unconscious in the lavatory, with blood on his face.
After reviving him with an oxygen set, Pascal helped move the sick passenger to Business Class, and woke up every 45 minutes for the remainder of the flight to check on his wellbeing.
GM Europe Angus Barclay and former Country Manager France Kinto Chan expressed their gratitude by upgrading Pascal to Business Class on his return flight.
Amazing race in the UAECX Dubai and Abu Dhabi staff from Cargo, Reservations, Airports, Engineering, Sales, Finance and Human Resources gathered at the Dubai Town Office for an “Amazing Race” contest on a recent weekend.
The 42 participants were split into eight teams that were pitted against each other in a three-hour race.
Staff got to know colleagues in other departments as they raced against the clock to find seven checkpoints around Dubai based on clues and riddles.
The activity ended with a sumptuous lunch and lively musical performances, with the winning teams announced by Country Manager UAE & Oman Brian Yuen.
Manila rolls out Premium Economy service
It would be fair to say that in the past few months, Air New Zealand has been reliant on the CX Line Maintenance Team in San Francisco.
Air New Zealand’s On Line Maintenance Support Manager Chris Rand paid a visit to San Francisco to meet with Engineering Manager Jim Aspros and his team to personally thank them for their help.
Jim and his team (pictured bottom) also received an Air New Zealand Service and Quality Award for their efforts over the years.
“Fortunately, we have an engineering team in SFO who consider themselves as much a part of Air New Zealand as they do their own airline, Cathay Pacific,” says Chris. “Customer service and ownership is what Jim and his team are all about.”
In other news, the Chicago team (pictured, top) took part in the ultimate man versus machine challenge in the annual Plane Pull event at O’Hare. Twenty CX staff, together with other teams of 20, helped pull a UPS aircraft weighing more than 180,000 lbs to raise money and awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.
San Francisco’s winning engineers
1. Word is you’re setting up your own charity? I’m setting up my own brand of handmade tie-dyed bags and leath-er accessories, and selling them for charity at www.makemoreart.co. The brand is launching in mid-Octo-ber and I’m so excited!
2. What do you do when you’re not flying? I use my G days to paint, mostly. I’m on the CX women’s volleyball team and manage a team of CX fencers. I also recently took up photography and website building.
3. What’s your favourite painting medium? I like acrylic and ink. You can view my work at kkimmyy.com, a website I built myself.
4. What’s your favourite pho-tography subject? I like street photography – I get to practise a lot when I’m in outport.
5. What’s your preferred kit? Polaroid cameras. With them, you really have to wait a long time for the perfect shot. It’s a great way to learn patience.
6. How do you like being on the CX Volleyball team? As cabin crew we’re always work-ing with different people in different parts of the world, so it’s nice to be part of a close-knit team for a change.
7. You have very diverse hobbies – why are you drawn to them? I like to use my time to do meaning-ful things.
8. Why did you join CX? I grew up in Canada and flying around the world was part of that. Being crew allows me to go back to Canada often and visit my friends in Korea, where I studied.
9. Why are you still with us when you’ve got so many side projects? I love this job – I get so much inspiration from travelling, and on my days off, I can use these ideas to create art.
10. How do you juggle everything?I’ve learnt to manage my time better and procrastinate less!
Senior Purser Emi Tadano put her love of wine to good use recently when she helped to select Business Class wines for CX.
Emi is no ordinary oenophile how-ever – she earned the title of Somme-lier from the Japan Sommelier Asso-ciation in 2002, advanced to Senior Sommelier level in 2005, and is also
a certified Cheese Professional.Emi was inspired by her col-
leagues to go professional.“I worked at a hotel in Tokyo be-
fore joining CX. There was a fine French restaurant in that hotel, and I really admired the sommeliers there – I thought they were so cool,” Emi
recalls. “Since I joined CX, I’ve been able to explore wine and food during layovers with colleagues. Some of them are very knowledgeable about wine and that inspired me too.”
To earn her sommelier title, Emi attended school for five months to learn about the cultivation and vini-fication of different wines around the
world, as well as public health regula-tions. The exam was gruelling, with writ-ten, oral and blind tasting tests. She also had to open bottles and decant wine smartly in front of a panel of judges in order to pass.
Emi’s studies led her to a group of like-minded connoisseurs, including colleagues at CX. Their love of pairing cheese with wine led the group to ap-ply to become cheese professionals as well.
Taking unpaid leave to join her Mona-co-based husband in 2003 and visiting the vineyards of France and Italy also strengthened her love of cheese and wine.
“I wouldn’t have achieved my goals without my company’s sup-port,” Emi says.
Getting ac-creditation was one thing, but selecting wines
for tens of thousands of discerning CX passengers was another.
Working with CX wine consultants Lau Chi-san and Roy Moorfield on a re-cent Spanish wine promo-tion for Business Class left a lasting impression.
“Tasting 110 wines in a few hours was definitely a first for me. Although I’ve blind tasted for exams, selecting wine was a com-
pletely different affair. My textbook learn-ing offered little help,” says Emi.
“Mr Lau and Mr Moorfield could taste each wine within a second and can judge right away. They are truly experts and they impressed me a tremendous-ly,” says Emi, who describes herself as “a person who can still enjoy cheap wine.”
“It was also great experience for me to write the descriptions for selected wines,” says Emi. “I really appreciate (Catering Manager) Clara Yip. She gave me this opportunity and always encour-aged and supported me.”
Choose red for anti-ageingRed wine contains more antioxidant nutrients, which have an anti-aging effect. For anti-aging, Emi recommends black wine from southwest France (ex Cahors AOC) as it contains more resveratrol, a polyphenol which is a powerful antioxidant.
Go for Spanish wine I tried some of Spanish wine while preparing for the CX tasting panel, and I tasted a unique grape called Bobal. Pasion de Bobal is made from 100% Bobal and has a blackberry aroma, creamy toasted notes and an elegant balance. It’s also available at a very reasonable price.
Drink to the seasonsEmi loves champagne best but also loves white, red and rose. It depends on the situation – sparkling, rose and white are more suited to summertime.
Cabin crew Thelma Desouza and Elroy Lobo take the romance of flying quite literally – the stunning married couple relocated to Hong Kong from Mumbai to become flight attendants with CX.
Thelma and Elroy started as flight attendants at Virgin Atlantic in Mumbai in 2006, and eventually found their other halves at a staff party. “For me it was love at first slight – Elroy’s such a head turner!” Thelma recalls with a grin.
Elroy was equally smitten, and the two began to date in 2007. Being in the same line of work meant that the two could enjoy flight swapping, travelling and having fun together in the UK when they’re off duty.
Thelma and Elroy tied the knot in late 2010. But there was trouble in paradise.
When Virgin Atlantic temporarily closed their outport base in Mumbai, Elroy was transferred to the airline’s Delhi base, while Thelma stayed in Mumbai to work at an investment bank.
For Elroy, travelling from Delhi
to Mumbai to meet his wife was exhausting.“When CX started recruiting in Mumbai in 2012,
we knew that our prayers were answered,” says Elroy. “Fortunately, we went through all the tests and interviews. I can still remember how excited we were after reading the confirmation emails from CX.”
“Being in CX together means a lot to us. Not only do we have the chance to work at one of the world’s finest
airlines, it also reunited us in a way,” Thelma says.During peak seasons when their rosters do
not match, Elroy and Thelma may be parted for over two weeks.
To keep their relationship alive, Thelma has a few tips: “I still go on dates with Elroy after getting married. A dinner, a move or simply a nice glass of wine can be so delightful – as long as we’re together.”
Another tip is to develop a mutual hobby with your loved on. “Thelma and I love cooking, so we often create new dishes and test it out on our friends,” Elroy says.
OENOPHILES: (Top) Emi and Lau Chi-sun (far right) at a wine tasting event; (below) hosting a wine tasting event in Nagoya.
A team consisting of CX staff won big at a recent fencing com-petition.
Team members Benjamin Lai (a Second Officer), Stephanie Chan and Connie Lau, both Flight Attendants, took part in the Academy of Fencing Q3 Competition on 1 October.
Stephanie and Connie managed to do the team proud in their first-ever competition – Stephanie took the gold in the women’s foil category, while Connie bagged the bronze.
Benjamin won the gold medal in the men’s foil event.“We went from absolute beginners to winners of our first
competition, after training for a year every Sunday at CX City,” says Stephanie. Connie added: ‘There will be more competi-tions ahead and we’ll definitely train hard for them.”
“Many thanks to ISD for their support to the fencers. Last but not least, hats off to Kimmy Wong, our new team manager, for organising everything for us,” smiles Benjamin.
The winner of this month’s quiz gets to stay at the five-star Grand Hyatt Beijing for a two-night weekend!
And not just in any room either, but in their Grand Suite, which boasts magnificent city views, a sitting room, a deep marble bath, personalised check-in, free Wi-Fi, and access to the Grand Club Lounge for breakfast, refreshments and cocktails.
Grand Hyatt Beijing is adjacent to Wangfujing shopping area in the city centre and part of Beijing Oriental Plaza commercial complex. There’s a resort-style indoor pool, a spa and no less than nine restaurants on site.
The voucher is valid until 31 December 2013.
16
I’ve always heard a lot about the beauty of Abu Dhabi, so when I was rostered to operate a flight to Dubai, I seized the chance to pay a visit.
Abu Dhabi is separated from Dubai by a two-hour bus ride. Getting there with a guided tour is easier, but also more expensive, so those with a sense of adventure should definitely try public transport.
My research told me that Abu Dhabi offers little in the way of historical or cul-tural sites. But it certainly isn’t lacking in attractions.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is not to be missed. This magnificent mega structure is the centrepiece of Abu Dhabi. The structure was built over 12 years and cost more than HK$500 million, bringing to- gether design-ers, materials and suppliers from all around the world.
SHOW US YOUR TIPS!CX World welcomes staff travel tips from across the network – email us at
n Siem Reap promotion Take full advantage of Dragonair’s latest destination by staying at the plush Shinta Mani in Siem Reap.
Shinta Mani Club, an upscale boutique hotel created by acclaimed architect Bill Bensley, showcases 39 contemporary designed rooms and public spaces in an Angkorian-inspired design.
This Angkor hotel is just a 15-minute tuktuk ride from the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat.
Shinta Mani is now offering a special staff rate of US$115 for a superior room. The rate includes breakfast and an afternoon tea for two.
Visit Travel Desk or www.shintamani.com for more.
KA flies to Siem Reap starting 27 October.
n Day of the Dead Mexicans remember departed souls on 1 and 2 November in the carnivalesque Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
Its papier-mâché skeletons and candy skulls are universally recognisable. In the weeks leading up to the festival, stores and markets fill with miniature coffins, skulls and skeletons made of chocolate, marzipan, paper, cardboard or clay.
Celebrations take place all over the country, but their heartland is southern Mexico, where indigenous culture is strongest.
n Crave in Sydney Some 30 top chefs will be showing the crowds what they’ve got at the Crave
Sydney International Food Festival, which lasts until the end of October. Australia’s largest food festival also features gourmet food stalls and a Night Noodle Market. Visit www.cravesydney.com for details.
Flight Attendant Kay Goh was in Bangkok to experience the city’s Songkran celebrations in April this year.
The most famous activity of Songkran is splashing water and smearing talc on random passersby as a form of blessing.
“One thing you must have is a ‘weapon’ – a water gun that is!” says Kay. “There’s a wide variety of water guns avalaible locally, from a sniper to one with an external water bag to carry extra water.
“I was on the streets when I heard loud music coming from a distance. Then came the ‘wow’ moment – a group of 20 to 30 youngsters, standing in an open truck, shooting water with their super powerful guns in all directions,” Kay recalls. “Instead of water bags, this super squad was equipped with gallons of water.”
“The only way to beat them was with a water hose, which I wish I had!” she adds. Kay notes that the water battle continued during the night on Khaosan Road.
Snap happy
Senior Purser Maria Christine Neri made an unforgettable side trip to Abu Dhabi during a layover in Dubai
HK$500 for a travel tale!Every month, CX World invites all CX staff to tell unusual, interesting or just downright quirky tales of travel moments around the world. The stories may also be featured on official CX social media channels, such as Facebook. Sponsored by Inflight Sales, the lucky sender of the main story receives HK$500 worth of inflight sales products of their choice from the ever-changing collection of over 260 items on offer (excluding liquor and cigarettes).
Go shopping at www.cathaypacific.com/dutyfree
The final result? An artistic work of architecture that is one of the largest mosques in the world, and is destined to be the largest in the United Arab Emirates with a large capacity for wor-shippers.
The grand mosque features 82 daz-zlingly white marble domes and mina-rets. Inside, it’s said to have a Swarovski crystal chandelier gilded with 24-carat gold, as well as the world’s largest loomed Persian carpet.
Unfortunately, it was the last day of the Ramadan when I went, so tourists were not allowed in. Although I could not witness the grandeur inside, I was content snapping away at the magnifi-cent exterior.
I’ll definitely be back to see what wonders lie in store inside the mosque – as well as the rest of this stunning city.
DAZZLED: Maria Christine was blown away by the grandeur of Abu Dhabi monuments.
