Cathay Pacific flight disruptions continue; Passengers requested to postpone non-essential travel

2012-07-25 — /travelprnews.com/ — Cathay Pacific Airways today announced that its flight operations and schedules are still not yet back to normal because of the knock on effect and passengers backlogs arising from the cancellation of 56 flights and diversion of 16 flights caused by typhoon Vicente. The airline expects it could take a few more days before operations return to normal.

Cathay Pacific appeals to passengers to postpone or cancel non-essential travel between today and this coming Sunday as the airline makes every effort to bring its services back to normal.

The airline will waive re-booking, re-routing, cancellation and refund charges for all tickets issued worldwide (irrespective of fare type) on or before 24 July for travel on Cathay Pacific between now and 29 July.

Cathay Pacific Chief Operating officer Ivan Chu said: “We sincerely apologise to our customers. Our teams are sparing no effort in getting them to their destinations as quickly as circumstances permit. However, we are facing significant challenges in sticking to flight schedules due to the after effects of disruptions caused by Typhoon Vicente.

The large number of flight diversions on Monday night and Tuesday morning mean that many airplanes and crew are not in their intended positions, disrupting our schedule integrity. Additionally, a weather-related shortage of ground services has added complexity to the situation,” he added.

“While the typhoon has passed, challenging weather remains here and around the area with occasional heavy rains and thunderstorms. This requires additional spacing precautions in sequencing departing and arriving aircraft. And lightning at the airport today requires that personnel be removed from the ramp for safety reasons. All this means that we will be experiencing the after effects of the typhoon for days,” he said.

Cathay Pacific expects that some flights will be delayed through the end of the week. Additional flight cancellations may also be necessary to get airplanes and crew back into position.

Passengers are advised of possible delays in the delivery of baggage and they are reminded to provide their contact details upon arrival at their destinations when their bags are delayed.

As operations remain disrupted, passengers are advised to first check the airline’s website, www.cathaypacific.com, to get the latest flight information before leaving for the airport.

Online check-in service for today’s flights has been suspended.

Passengers whose flights are cancelled are advised not to go the airport. Cathay Pacific will assist with alternative arrangements for affected passengers.

To ensure customers receive the latest flight status updates via SMS or email, they are advised to update their contact details in Manage My Booking.

Cathay Pacific continues to monitor the situation closely and will issue further updates once more information becomes available. The airline regrets any inconvenience this may cause and hopes for passengers’ understanding.

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