news
feature
who, what, where
travel
Brand
alignment
Cathay Club
launches
Singing
queen
Tiger
sanctuary
Event sees launch of
Cathay Dragon
Wider range of
activities for staff
A moment with
Mariam Ravzi
Watching rare
animals in Jo’burg
February 2016, Issue 238
Page 2
Page 8-9
Page 10
Page 12
A magazine for staff and friends of Cathay Pacific Airways
All smiles!
First freighter gets new livery
- Page 9
Briefs
n A350 delivery delay
Cathay is now expecting delivery
of its first A350 in late April – a little later than the original delivery
date of February.
The delay is the result of a cabin
product issue.
The Cathay team is working
closely with Airbus and the product supplier to minimise the risk of
any further delays.
n HK$670,000 to Red Cross
The Cathay Group has raised a
total of HK$670,000 for the Hong
Kong Red Cross to aid victims of
the Chennai floods.
Shortly after the severe floods
hit Chennai, the Group and its
seven wholly owned subsidiaries
launched a two-week staff appeal
to raise funds for the people
affected.
Together with the company’s
pledge to match the final amount
donated by staff, the total cash
donation has been rounded up
to HK$670,000, all of which go
to support the Red Cross’s relief
efforts in affected areas.
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Red letter day
n ISPY stars
Rebranding of Dragonair as Cathay Dragon will create
a more powerful Group proposition
It was a big night of success for
Cathay Pacific at this year’s 2016
Inflight Salesperson of the Year
(ISPY) Awards, held in London on
29 January.
Flight Attendant Janet Wong
was named Inflight Sales Person of
the Year and along with her fellow
crew Jack Yip was awarded with
the Inflight Sales People of the
Year champion title – the first time
for Cathay Pacific to get both top
awards at the event. Fellow cabin crew Lucia Yeung
and Kevin Nguyen were gold
medallists in the the product
knowledge category.
More on the achievements of
our winners in the next CX World!
Thursday, 28 January was a red letter
day for the Cathay Pacific Group as it
was announced that Dragonair will be
rebranded as Cathay Dragon.
The news was announced to the world
at a press event at the Convention &
Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, where Chief
Executive Ivan Chu and Dragonair CEO
Algernon Yau explained the importance of
the rebranding to the Group’s future.
Ivan said the move would build on the
work that has been done since Dragonair
became a wholly owned subsidiary of
Cathay back in 2006 – a partnership he
called a “phenomenal success”.
“Aligning the two brands closer
together will enable us to provide greater
convenience and a more seamless
travel experience for our passengers,
underlining our promise of a ‘Life Well
Travelled’,” Ivan told reporters.
“This rebranding will help to sharpen
our competitive edge and capture the
fast-growing passenger flows across
the two carriers, helping to further
strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an
aviation hub.”
A key point made at the press event
was that the two airlines were not being
merged, and that both will continue
under separate Air Operator’s Licences.
And although Cathay Dragon will carry
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a new livery, adapting the distinctive
Cathay brushwing on its tail, the airline
will still retain the same touches that
helped it to build such a loyal customer
base, said Algernon.
“We will still be a premium carrier
offering the best products and services
to our customers, and we will have the
same dedicated team providing the
highest levels of operational and service
excellence,” Algernon said.
“This rebranding gives Cathay Dragon
and Cathay Pacific the opportunity to
become stronger than the sum of our parts.”
Staff were told about the rebranding at
packed briefings held in Cathay City and
Dragonair House, with special displays
mounted in both locations.
The next visible sign of the rebranding
exercise will be in April, when the first
A330 in the new Cathay Dragon colours
comes out of the hangar.
The actual cutover to the new Cathay
Dragon identity will be in the fourth quarter
of 2016. Until that time, the rebranding
Project Management Office and the Brand
team will be working closely with various
business units on the application of the
new design ethos and logo.
Scan the QR code to find out
more about Cathay Dragon
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TEAMS UPDATED: Special briefings and displays put staff in the
picture about the brand alignment.
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Joining in the fun!
Youngsters get hands-on experience for sixth Community Flight
On 17 January, the latest Community Flight
took 250 children and their families over the
South China Sea on a 90-minute journey.
The event was officiated by Guest of
Honour Chief Executive CY Leung, who was
accompanied by Cathay Pacific Chief Executive
Ivan Chu, Executive Director Algernon Yau and
Director Corporate Affairs James Tong.
At the gate ceremony, CY said that he had
clocked more than enough miles to go round
the world 100 times; but he still remembered
the excitement of his first flight – a feeling that
was shared by those onboard, many of whom
had never flown before.
For the first time in the Community Flight’s
history, children were involved in various
duties with the help of Cathay staff.
Participant Lau Ka-ho was tasked with
scanning boarding passes at the gate. “It was
fun! When the green lit up on the barcode
scanner, the passenger could go ahead, but
red meant no-go,” he smiled.
As the Boeing 777-300 gathered speed
on the tarmac, the cacophony inside the
cabin was replaced with a sense of awe and
anticipation. The moment when the plane
lifted off, children gasped excitedly. Seeing
this, many staff and Cathay Pacific Volunteers
were moved by the happiness they saw.
The event also marked Boeing Chief Pilot
Gus Larard’s fourth Community Flight. He says:
“The children reminded me how lucky I am to
be able to pursue my own dream of flying.”
Senior Training Captain Patrick Lau and
Senior Captain Hank Cheng volunteered to
provide an inflight commentary. They talked
about aviation facts and the geography outside
Chief Executive
Message
SSFTH For the first time,
children were invited to
perform various ground
duties and use the
inflight PA system while
the plane was on the
ground.
the window as the plane circled over the South
China Sea. Hank says: “Flying is my career, and
the children’s enthusiasm reminded everyone
onboard the extraordinary feeling of being in
the air.” Patrick adds: “The children also asked
many interesting questions and demonstrated
a keen interest in aviation.”
After the meal service, CY, Ivan, Algernon
and James visited the Economy Class cabin
to distribute gift boxes and offer their best
wishes to the families. They also posed for
photographs and autographed Community
Flight passports, with which the children
Applause for top service
Cathay and Dragonair’s superior service was recognised at the Hong Kong
Association for Customer Service Excellence (HKACE) Awards 2015, which took
place on 26 January. The Group scooped six awards, including two top accolades in
the team award category for Internal Support Service.
In this category, Dragonair’s Inflight Services Development & Standards team
received the top honour of the Gold Team Award. The team was commended for
the development of a “tiered high tea stand”, which serves to help frontline staff
deliver efficient service.
Cabin Service Delivery Manager Humphrey Huen explains the design of the
stand: “It resembles what is offered by luxury hotels, and can warm food and
withstand the occasional turbulence.”
Another gold award winner was Dragonair Flight Attendant Alex Cheng, who
took the top honour of Field & Special Service in the individual category. Alex says:
“I’m very happy that my efforts are being recognised! I have learnt a lot throughout
the evaluation process, which will definitely be very useful in my career.”
Other winners include the Cathay Online Team at HKIA, and three HKIA frontline
staff. To find out more about their work, visit the CX World Yammer group.
could collect “stamps” for each milestone they
achieved on the journey.
Volunteer Violet Poon, Customer Services
Officer at HKIA, who escorted children before
takeoff and after landing, said she was happy to
be part of such a meaningful event. “It was nice
to see the big smiles on so many faces!” Violet
says. “The children were excited to be in amongst
the guests and they thanked each of us with
genuine appreciation. It was good to see!”
James says: “Thank you to every staff who
were involved in making the Community
Flight a great success!”
It was another proud and exciting
moment for the Cathay Pacific Group
when we announced that Dragonair is
to be rebranded as Cathay Dragon.
Our two airlines have been working
very closely together since 2006 and
what we have already achieved is a true
Hong Kong success story. Now, with
the brands of Cathay Pacific and Cathay
Dragon in much closer alignment
we can really work to deliver on our
promise of a Life Well Travelled.
We will be able to provide greater
convenience to our passengers and
offer them a more seamless travel
experience on two airlines that are
quite clearly part of the same Group.
We can leverage on Cathay Pacific’s
strong brand recognition around the
world and Cathay Dragon’s unique
connectivity into rapidly expanding
markets in Mainland China and within
the region. Our customers will benefit,
the Hong Kong hub will benefit, and in
the long run staff of both our airlines
will benefit, too.
The announcement was just the
beginning of this new journey for
the Group. A huge team effort went
into getting us ready to unveil this
landmark development, and another
concerted effort will go into bringing
different elements of the brand merger
together throughout the course of
2016. The next big landmark will be
the first aircraft in full Cathay Dragon
livery coming out of the hangar in
April. Later this year, we launch a major
international marketing campaign that
will promote recognition of Cathay
Dragon, highlight the connection
between our two carriers, and
emphasise the benefits this rebranding
will bring to our customers.
Over the past 16 months we
have seen three very significant
developments for the Cathay Group,
all of which are closely connected.
First came the introduction of the new
Cathay logo and a cleaner, fresher
brand; then we saw the launch of a
new aircraft livery for Cathay Pacific;
and now we have this important brand
alignment for our two world-class
airlines. These three things together
will put us in a much stronger position
to succeed in this hugely competitive
industry.
Ivan Chu
3
happenings
Staff around the network are posting
photos showing the harsh wintry
conditions they face. Let it snow...
Inflight viewing
options increase
Movies available on all flights for the first time
Blast from the past
San Francisco Airport Services Manager Erik Saywack
posted a series of old photos from his EWR days, saying:
“trying to get CX899 away!”
Marshmallow ULD
Newark Airport ASM
Mark Flug posted the
effect of 28.6 inches
of snowfall in 24 hours!
Mark and his team
were also trying to
get… CX899 off the
ground!
Various icing and de-icing shots...
Frosty Frankfurt
by Cargo Officer
Patrick Otto
Freezing Haneda
by Assistant Manager
Operations Performance
Anderson Leung
Sub-zero
Anchorage
by Captain
Anthony Fesche
‘Prospects’ ready to go
Approximately 80% of Cathay passengers in 2014 weren’t
members of the Marco Polo Club or Asia Miles. Yet, traditionally
little has been done to deepen the relationship with these
customers. The Prospects Project aims to change this.
Led by Cathay Pacific’s Customer Relationship Management
team, Prospects is a major initiative focused on nurturing
relationships with these non-member passengers by allowing
them to create a registered account. Free, fast and easy to signup for, a registered account will be a basic eCommerce account
option, enabling all customers to enjoy faster bookings, easier
check-in, and simpler
Free registered account
booking management,
for all Cathay and
as well as a more
Dragonair customers
personalised customer
experience.
Prospects will be going
live later this year. So stay
tuned for announcements
on IntraCX and the next
issue of CX World.
4
New services available
online
Personalised offers and
communications
There’s some good news
for movie fans travelling
on Cathay and Dragonair
flights over the next
couple of months.
From 1 February, both
airlines
have
begun
showcasing a selection
of movies on all flights,
irrespective of the length
of the journey.
Previously, the movie
selection was not available
on regional flights.
“We think passengers will
appreciate this additional
viewing option, which has
been made possible due
the inflight entertainment
system being activated
while the aircraft is still
on the ground,” says Daisy
Chan, Product Manager,
Entertainment & Media MOVIE MAGIC: Highlights in March include Star Wars, Oscars winners and 3D surround sound.
Sales.
Another exciting experience for
“This is the first time that the Star Wars
Another enhancement from February
passengers starting from March is the
franchise has been available to airlines
is the addition of two more New Release
introduction of 3D surround sound for
and we expect it to be very popular,”
movies into the library each month.
two movies – Creed and The Hunger
Daisy says.
“We have some good titles including
Games: Mockingjay Part 2. The Oscars Special will return, featuring
Spectre, Steve Jobs, Legend (2015), The
“The 3D surround sound technology
many of the movies nominated for the
Peanuts Movie and Pan,” says Daisy.
is available to all passengers, whether
2016 Oscars, including Carol, Creed,
There is more to come in March
they use their own headphones or a
Steve Jobs, Room, Mad Max: Fury Road,
including the Star Wars Series that will
pair provided by us, and it will add
The Big Short, The Martian and Inside Out,
showcase the full original trilogy –
a new dimension by adding greater
in addition to previous Academy Award
Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The
winners such as Chicago, Shakespeare
audio depth that will make passengers
Empire Strikes Back, Episode VI: The Return
in Love, The Artist, Forrest Gump and
feel more immersed in action films and
of the Jedi – along with the latest Star Wars
Gladiator. adventure dramas,” Daisy says.
outing, Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Are you security-vigilant?
This month’s IT security column is
about identifying “social engineers”,
who manipulate people to perform
actions or divulge confidential
information. We are all susceptible to
their lures. Can you spot three such
techniques in the article below? Email
answers to IMT#RNS to win a HK$100
Sogo department store voucher.
Jane spotted a USB key with the word
“Confidential” in the staff canteen. Being
a helpful employee, Jane assumed that
a colleague had lost it and decided to
plug the USB into her work laptop to
see if she could identify to whom the
USB belonged.
In one of the files, there was a name
and a phone number. Jane dialled the
number and somebody answered. He
was very appreciative that Jane had
found the USB. He said that he needed
the files urgently, and since he couldn’t
pick up the USB right away, he asked if
Jane could send the files via email. As
he seemed to be in a rush, Jane obliged.
Afterwards, the USB owner sent Jane
an email to thank her. Jane spotted a
link in the email. Curious as to what
it was about, she clicked on the link,
which directed her to a web page that
displayed the following message:
“Look how easy it is to be susceptible
to social engineering attacks. Don’t
pick up and plug in USBs that you find
in your office and don’t click on any
suspicious links in an email.”
Which three social engineering techniques were used?
1)
2) 3) 4)
5)
6)
Urgently asking someone for their help
An unknown individual asking you to donate to their charity
Baiting – Giving away a free USB key, a free CD or music download, or offering a great deal on a purchase
Creating artificial distrust by getting angry with you Abuse of sexual attraction (wanting to impress you)
Sending phishing emails that contain links to malware-infected websites
Cathay goes on parade for Year of the Monkey
In 2016, Cathay Pacific is again the
official sponsor of the Hong Kong
International Chinese New Year Parade.
This year marks the 18th consecutive
year the airline has been the official
sponsor of this vibrant event.
On the evening of 8 February – the
first day of the Year of the Monkey –
Cathay’s float leads the way in ushering
the Chinese New Year with the people
of Hong Kong.
Cathay’s float design features a
giant, stylish number 70 at its centre
signifying seven decades of enabling
“Life Well Travelled” experiences. The
double-sided LED display embedded
in the centre of the number ‘0’ displays
a 90-second Cathay history image
montage commemorating “70 years in
Hong Kong”.
Escorting the Cathay float are our
pilots, cabin crew, airport frontline
staff, and ground staff. They will take
selfies with the spectators lining the
parade route and share them in real
time on the float’s built-in LED screens
– mimicking the new travel habit of
taking selfies to share favourite Life
Well Travelled moments.
The parade starts at 8pm at the
Hong Kong Cultural Centre with a
route around Tsim Sha Tsui. Hundreds
of thousands of spectators, including
local residents and tourists, are
expected to flock to the streets to
experience the festive atmosphere.
A total of 13 festive floats as
well as 22 international and local
performing troupes are taking
part in this year’s parade. There are
marching bands, cheerleaders, cultural
dancers, percussion groups, acrobats,
traditional Chinese dancers and
international performers from all over
the world.
Brand Design
column
“Continuous effort – not
Staff travel takes a
step forward
Enhancements introduced ahead of new unified scheme in 2017
The week following the announcement of the closer alignment of the
brands of Cathay Pacific and Cathay
Dragon, the company revealed that
it will merge the travel schemes of
the two airlines.
CX World spoke to Director People
Tom Owen about the changes in
prospect and what other work is
being done to improve the overall
travel experience for colleagues.
Why has the Group taken the
decision to merge the travel
schemes?
Just as by merging the brands
more closely together will give
tremendous advantages to our
customers externally and help
give the Group a stronger identity,
we also want our own people in
Cathay Pacific and Dragonair – and
later Cathay Dragon – to realise the
benefits of a close brand alignment.
The way to do that is by unifying
an area that is dear to the hearts
of everybody, staff travel, making
it more accessible for both staff
groups on a reciprocal basis on
each other’s airline.
What are the key highlights of
this merger?
The two programmes will become
one, the Cathay Staff Travel scheme,
effective from 1 January 2017 and
travel benefits will be equalised for
both airlines.
So Cathay Pacific and Cathay
Dragon employees will have the
same priorities on each other’s
metal. For instance, now KA staff
who travel on a CX flight for leisure
travel have priority 26; in future it
will be 25 – the same as Cathay staff,
and vice versa. Priorities will also
be equalised for family members,
companions and retirees.
CX staff will benefit from having
equal access to a bigger network
courtesy of Cathay Dragon. Cathay
people will have more opportunities
to fly regionally, particularly Taiwan,
Mainland China and other parts
of Asia, while the Cathay Dragon
people will have better access to
Cathay’s regional destinations and
long-haul routes too.
Will it be harder for some staff
groups to get on flights?
It’s fair to say that under a unified
scheme we are creating a bigger
pool of potential travellers to
compete for staff travel seats. We
are, however, at the same time
expanding the opportunities for
travel across the combined network
of our two airlines.
Individual staff will have different
views on the impact of this unified
scheme depending on the routes
and regions for which they use staff
travel. Most of our most popular
destinations are around the region
and in China, and the merger of the
schemes will add more access here
for many of our staff.
On longer haul routes where
space is always challenging at peak
times, staff reaction could be more
mixed. I would point out though
that we are adding capacity this and
next year to several of the popular
long-haul destinations, which will
provide more opportunities for all.
Have staff opinions been taken
into account?
In considering this change, we
also wanted to make sure we
were listening to the feedback of
our people about how we could
improve the current schemes.
So while we will align the two
programmes from next year, we
are also going to be introducing
some enhancements to the existing
programmes for the benefit of all.
There are three enhancements
that will be introduced from 1
March 2016. The first is to pool an
allotment of 48 sectors for use by
family travel nominees instead of
the current 24. The second is that
siblings of married staff will be
given access to oneworld travel.
And the third is that children from
the age of 12 will be able to travel in
Business Class on either airline.
These changes are part of an
overall review of how we deliver
staff travel to our people. Ultimately
we’d like the concept of Life Well
Travelled for our customers to be
interpreted in the same way for
our people. Staff travel is a very
important benefit and it often
causes debate and questions, so we
want to make sure we are adapting
our scheme in the best way
possible, considering the changing
circumstances and the feedback of
our staff.
What are the next steps?
We are going to be looking at the
whole experience staff get when
they travel, from the booking
process to the visibility of availability
and the actual inflight experience.
By the end of this year we will
have built up a good picture of
where we are in terms of usage and
formed a clearer idea on how we
can improve. I’d caution that we will
not be able to deliver everything
that everyone wants, but staff
can expect to see more positive
developments ahead.
strength or intelligence –
is the key to unlocking our
potential.”
– Winston Churchill
Our logo, the “freed brushwing”
was one of the most significant
changes to our brand during the
brand launch in October 2014.
The smooth transition from
the boxed logo to a symbol of
freedom and flight is a subtle yet
meaningful evolution.
Our logo is an extremely
important aspect of our brand.
Not only does it help us stand out
from the pack, it differentiates us
from our competitors and helps
our customers remember us.
Above are some examples
showing how clear space has
been neglected whilst applying
our logo. It’s either placed too
close to other content elements
– eg other logos, images, headers
– or the trim edge.
Maintaining consistency and
professionalism requires strict
adherence to our visual identity
guidelines. We are therefore
asking for your help in maintaining
a consistent application of our
logo, across all the internal
and external communication
materials, by respecting the space
around the freed brushwing.
Further guidance on the
exclusion zones around the logo
can be found in Brand Architecture
Guidelines on IntraCX..
The Brand Team
QUESTIONS?
If you have any special requests
which you’d like us to cover, please
email [email protected]
5
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Letters to the Editor
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Out with the old?
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The extensive Chennai
floods
in
December
affected
millions
of
people. Two engineers in
India went beyond their
call of duty to help their
colleagues, epitomising
SSFTH.
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Dragonair provides excellent inflight services, and
the youngest aircraft in the fleet is B-LBD. However,
the Airbus A320s and A321s are reaching their 20s.
While our sister airline gets new A350s and
Boeing B777s, I would like to know if there is a fleet
renewal programme in place for Dragonair?
Raymond Ho, Dragonair
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6
Paul Barwell, Manager Airline Planning, replies:
Dragonair does indeed provide excellent inflight
services, and the aircraft operated by Dragonair
contribute significantly to the company.
As you know, an aircraft is an expensive asset that
needs to work hard on a daily basis throughout its
useful life in order to justify the investment. Twenty
years is not considered old for a modern airframe, and
many operators are looking to extend the operating
life of their fleets, some even considering investing in
second-hand aircraft to meet their fleet needs.
Airbus is currently offering life extension
n
Based in Bengaluru, Aircraft
Engineer Suriya Varadarajan (top
left) was not severely affected by the
flood, but he told CX World about
the difficulties the flood caused: “I
lost contact with my family for four
days due to power cuts and a network
shut-down. It was heartbreaking as
my family was hit by the floods.”
At the same time, Suriya received
a call from Mumbai Engineering
Manager Nitin Golatkar, who had
to juggle his staff in order to provide
technical support to the Maldives
(MLE) and Hyderabad (HYD) – two
stations that were normally supported
by Chennai (MAA).
Nitin says: “We could not get in
touch with the MAA engineers, nor
could they get out of MAA due to lack
of transport. As an exigency, Suriya
left from BLR to cover for MLE at
short notice, eventually certifying the
first aircraft in his career.”
Suriya was grateful to his manager
for putting so much trust in him.
He says: “It was a big day for me
personally, as signing an Aircraft
Release called for a tremendous
sense of duty. The safety of the crew
and the passengers became my
utmost priority.”
On the same night, Nitin also
called Mumbai’s Yogesh Balkavde
(top right) to cover for HYD. By the
end of covering for HYD, Yogesh
would have already worked on 10
continuous shifts.
“Yogesh had already completed
five shifts in BOM by the time I called
him,” recalls Nitin. “He was ready
to enjoy his weekly off days when I
approached him. By accepting the
last-minute request, Yogesh forfeited
his impending days-off for five more
days of work.”
Yogesh thought nothing of his
personal sacrifice, as it was the
difficulties and the hardships of his
MAA colleagues that he had on his
mind. Yogesh says: “I just wanted
to help my colleagues the best
way I could – taking a rest was not
important at that moment!”
programmes that will take the A320/1 and A330
useful life well beyond 25 years. As the average age of
the Dragonair A320 fleet is below 10 years, the A321
below 13 and the combined Cathay and Dragonair
A330 fleet also below 13, we have some way to go
before we need to evaluate these programmes. In addition to the airframe, the cabin is also a
significant area for investment and arguably more
important to the delivery of excellent inflight service.
In this respect, the Dragonair fleet has undergone a
complete interior overhaul in the past two years. Only
a few A320s remain in the queue for reconfiguration.
While Cathay is having new long-haul aircraft
delivered in the next few years, the Dragonair fleet,
both airframe and cabin, is comparable in every way
with the Cathay regional fleet.
On the broader question of fleet plans, we will
continually review our aircraft requirements in order
to deliver value to the business, while managing the
various challenges we face.
The winner of the CX World
Star Letter scores a bottle
of Château du Retout
Esperance Haut-Medoc.
Château du Retout
in the Medoc region in
France produces four
wines. The winery
adopts viticultural
practices that are in
line with sustainable
agriculture.
The Esperance
Haut Medoc is a
Bordeaux Left Bank
red wine. A blend of
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot and Cabernet
Franc, this modern
wine has expressive
aromas of fruits,
with a nose of
blackcurrant and a
good ripeness.
ISD will be offering
a bottle from the
Business Class
selection every month
for the Star Letter prize winner,
so watch this space!
Great service!
Dear Cathay Pacific,
I’m not sure whether Cathay Pacific has a staff recognition process,
but if you do, I’d like to nominate
Jenny (top) and Sara (bottom) in
the Ticketing Office at London
Heathrow for
their professionalism and
tenacity on
28 December
when my step
daughter was
left stranded
by a travel
agent
who
had messed
up her flight
details.
Jenny and
Sara
both
went out of
their
way
to
ensure
that my step
daughter
met her flight
with just 10
minutes to go
before checkin closed.
Real customer focus and care,
we can’t thank you enough!
Nigel Gillingham
via Facebook
Food for thought
I would like to comment on the
choice of food available in the Cathay City canteen on the weekends.
It seems that the only food
Maxim’s serves is instant noodles,
and there is no other hot food
available on the weekend.
Instant noodles are unhealthy
and carcinogenic. On the other
hand, during tea time, the
sandwich the canteen serves has
so little filling that I feel cheated to
have to pay HK$23 for it – almost
the same amount as a cooked
meal.
Can Maxim’s provide more
healthy choices of hot food on the
weekend? If they are unable to do
so, can another caterer do it?
ISD staff
Simon Sing, Project Manager,
replies: Thank you for your
feedback. We’ve been collecting
and reflecting your feedback to
Maxim’s.
On food choices available in
our staff canteen, Maxim’s has
responded by adding more items
to the weekend menu, starting
from 19 December. The following
dishes are now being rotated on a
weekly basis:
• Pickled
vegetables
and
dumplings with small or thick
rice vermicelli
• Pickled vegetables and fish
balls with small or thick rice
vermicelli
• Fresh vegetables with small or
thick rice vermicelli
Moreover,
Maxim’s
has
proposed to provide cart noodles
during lunch and tea time to give
our staff more choices.
Referring to your last question,
there are currently no plans to
change our canteen provider in
2016. However, we are always
looking at ways to improve
the overall experience for our
staff at Cathay City. During this
time, staff feedback about the
canteen quality will be collected
and we will do our best to work
with Maxim’s for continuous
improvements.
Public service
My New Year’s resolution is to eat
less and be a little healthier. With
the price of an average salad increasing by 25% and a basic sandwich by 35%, Public’s offering is
certainly helping me to meet my
resolution.
While on the subject of sandwiches, the original 2015 twinpack tuna sandwich was offered
at HK$26. They are now available
as two single packs for HK$34. A
31% increase for the inclusion of
more packaging that gets thrown
in the bin. Not the greenest or the
leanest.
I am sure that I am not the only
member of staff to have these
concerns. Looking at the sand-
Secretary to seven KA CEOs
wich bar today, either Public has
over-catered, or my colleagues
are all sticking to their New Year’s
resolutions to avoid these grossly
inflated offerings.
Richard Anderson, ENG
Jackson Lum, Headland Hotel
Manager, replies: Since the launch
of a new range of Public products,
we have received much positive and
fair feedback.
We are aware that some of the
prices are relatively high, therefore,
we have lowered the prices of some
Public sandwiches and salads.
The additional cost will be
absorbed by the Headland with an
aim to keep offering staff the finest
quality for which Public is renowned.
Furthermore, the Headland is
now producing the twin pack tuna
sandwich for HK$29.
We look forward to receiving your
continued support.
Prospects
I am writing with reference to the
internal transfer selection process.
Currently, nearly all applicants are
subjected to the same aptitude test
which serves to examine a candidate’s ability and skills in the shortest possible time frame.
I contest the rigid structure of this
test, for example, why are we assessing the writing or presentation skills
of a candidate when clearly the role
calls for a more numerical and circumspective mind?
Would it be possible for People to
consider a more flexible approach,
such as a multi-stage and multidimensional test rather than eliminating potential candidates in the
initial phase of recruitment?
FOP staff
Claire Delaney, Recruitment
Manager, replies: Thank you
for your feedback! Our selection
processes are designed to assess the
skills and competencies required for
each role. Whilst some selection
processes may contain the same
tests, selection processes vary across
the company, depending on the
requirements of the position and
the department. Hope this helps!
Benefits for
newlyweds
Will Cathay consider giving newlyweds marriage leave?
Cathay City staff
Albert Wong, General Manager
People, replies: Thank you for
your suggestion. Currently, we
don’t have such a policy.
However, the company always
endeavours to facilitate leave
upon receiving such applications.
In February, the ever elegant PA
to Dragonair CEO Algernon Yau is
retiring from the post she took up
24 years ago. During that time,
Nancy Leung has served seven
CEOs and witnessed the airline’s
growth from five aircraft and 800
staff to more than 40 planes and
3,000 employees today.
“One thing that hasn’t changed
is the work ethos and the good
relations between colleagues,”
Nancy says. “Everyone’s always been
very hands on. When we were a
much smaller team, we would take
on additional work on top of our
normal duties.”
For this, Nancy says it has been
a long time since she can go on
holiday totally care-free. “I used
to take short or impromptu trips.
I don’t remember a time when I
didn’t have to work well into the
night before a holiday because I
needed to get all my work out of
the way and make sure everything
was properly handed over to my
colleagues!” she says.
Before Nancy’s last day, she is
going to Japan with her family. “It’s
the first time in many years when
I can truly relax and enjoy myself
SEEING SUCCESS: Nancy has been with KA for 24 years. insets are of Nancy with her bosses. Can you spot Algernon?
abroad,” Nancy says excitedly.
Looking back on her career, Nancy
says that she feels most proud about
Dragonair’s expansion. “I feel very
proud to have served this amazing
airline,” Nancy says. “From a nascent
company when I first joined to
winning the Skytrax Best Regional
Airline four times, Dragonair has done
so well in such a short time!”
From overseeing the airline’s office
move from China Hong Kong City to
Devon House, to recently taking up
some Assistant to CEO duties, Nancy
thinks that her job description fits
in well with her personality, as she
doesn’t like an unchanging nine-tofive role.
Nancy says: “I always gravitate
towards jobs that entail a bit of
creativity and flexibility. When
Dragonair moved office, I had
the opportunity to visit different
departments and meet people to
understand their needs.
“I also met with contractors
from whom I learnt much about
decorating! I still enjoy working on
my own projects at home!”
Nancy is now looking forward
to spending more time with her
nonagenarian parents. Nancy also
shares with us her life mantra: “My
retirement will be guided by two
Hs: Healthy and Happy. We have
lovely people at Dragonair and
they all contribute to a harmonious
working environment. Let’s keep
that up, and I wish them the two big
Hs and the Dragonair ICAO code: H
for Harmony, D for Diligent, and A
for Adaptable!”
New future for
Dragonair ISD
In view of Dragonair’s rapid growth and an expanding cabin
crew population, the airline’s Inflight Services Department
(ISD) underwent a reorganisation recently in order to cope
with the changing operating environment.
“We review departmental structure from time to time with
an aim to provide full support to our cabin crew,” says Brian
Yuen, General Manager Inflight Services. “Our goal is to help
them to deliver the best possible service to passengers.”
“It was clear that some roles needed a different focus, while
others needed more clarity regarding their responsibilities.
We also realised that some teams needed to work more
closely together.”
One of the major changes includes the transfer of the
Dragonair Catering Team to Cathay ISD for better cooperation. All other staff in ISD are now divided into two
streams: Cabin Crew and Inflight Services.
Brian explains: “Roles and responsibilities have been
reshuffled under these two streams to increase work
effectiveness and to enable better results. For example, Crew
Communications has been grouped with other crew-facing
teams so that we are able to better engage our cabin crew at
different touch points.”
Strategic Planning & Operations are also grouped closer
together to facilitate a more holistic manpower planning
cycle.
“I’d like to thank Manager Operations & Crew Relations
Alvin Yuen for his contributions,” Brian smiles. “Alvin is
retiring this month after serving the Group for 40 years!”
Meanwhile, Eugene Swinton joins Dragonair as Manager
Cabin Crew Operations Support. He is tasked with handling
operations-related matters.
“With a new department structure, I believe we can
manage both people and service more effectively and
also balance the needs of the 3Cs – Company, Crew and
Customers – in this fast-changing operating environment,”
Brian adds.
7
A club for everyone
The Cathay Club promises a broader range of activities for staff from both airlines
The formation of the Cathay Club is
set to enrich the lives of colleagues
working for Cathay and Dragonair
(and, from later this year, Cathay
Dragon). Director People Tom Owen
told CX World more about this new
way to get staff more engaged.
What exactly is the Cathay Club?
It’s an expansion and relaunch of
the existing Sports & Recreation
(S&R) Club, which has been running
for many years. The S&R Club has
undoubtedly been successful but it
was felt there is more we can offer as
an organisation than just sports and
recreation. The Cathay Club is going
to be covering a much wider remit
of activities.
So are we going to disband the
existing sports teams and clubs?
Not at all! Sports will remain at the
core, riding on the great facilities
we have in Cathay City.
We currently have individuals
coordinating activities for more
than 30 different teams. The latest
to be formed is the Cathay Chinese
Martial Arts Club, which already
has 18 members from Cathay and
Dragonair (see story below).
There will be no change for
existing sports and recreation teams
– in fact we hope to expand the
number of clubs and their remit –
but we will provide the opportunity
for other sorts of clubs to flourish
and also run events in various areas,
such as wellness, community and
educational activities.
In fact anything that enriches
the lives of our people will be
channelled through the new
Cathay Club.
Can we expect to see a broader
range of activities soon?
Definitely. We have just given the goahead for setting up the Farm in the
Sky – a rooftop farm run by the Cathay
Farmers Club on top of Cathay City.
This project is being nurtured
by a group of staff who are very
passionate about urban farming
but it wouldn’t have been possible
if it hadn’t been facilitated by the
Cathay Club, providing advice
and support to take the process
through. Another example is a wine
appreciation club that we hope to
launch soon.
Who will run the Cathay Club?
The club will be coordinated by the
Benefits Services Centre. We have set
up a Cathay Club steering committee
run by a group of managers from
various areas in the company.
This committee will manage
the club to ensure that it goes in
the right direction, that its charter
is adhered to, and that it receives
the funding needed to generate
greater engagement across the
organisation. But at its heart, the
Club will still have our own people
voluntarily running activities in their
particular area of interest.
Will the company make more
money available?
GETTING ACTIVE: Tom Owen (fourth from left) with other Cathay/Dragon participants in the recent Green Power
Hike. Tom says staff from both carriers will be able to get involved in more activities through the Cathay Club.
A budget is already allocated, but
if we want to do more we will need
more resources. We are now looking
if we can generate that internally.
Why are we launching the Club
now?
Both Cathay and Dragonair have
become much bigger in recent
years, and with the alignment of the
brands it’s an opportunity to further
engage all of our people in the
Cathay by building on the structure
we already have.
The S&R Club goes back to the Kai
Tak days and it’s been terrific, but the
time is right to change what we’re
doing to make it more relevant.
How do outports fit into the
picture?
The Cathay Club is based in Hong
Kong and most of the activities will
be geared around Cathay City and
Dragonair House, but there is always
an opportunity to get outports
involved as well – particularly
around sporting activities. We will
be open to various suggestions
to get our outport teams more
engaged through the Club.
How can staff with ideas get
involved?
We will have a governance process so
that if someone approaches us with
an idea about a club they’d like to
set up, we will assess whether it can
come under the wing of the Cathay
Club and then help to nurture the
growth and communicate the events
of that particular club. There’ll be a
proper process to build engagement
activities and use our facilities more
effectively.
New team on the block
The first activity group to be formed under the Cathay Club umbrella
is the new Cathay Chinese Martial Arts Team, made up of 18 members
from different departments in Cathay and Dragonair. As well as running martial arts training and practice sessions, in
future the team will also hold lion dances to inaugurate new offices in
Cathay City and Dragonair House.
“It’s good that we have our own people who are willing to share
their passion at internal events,” says Tom Owen.
The team has three lions – yellow, red, and green – the latter
two symbolising the two airlines and which happily align with the
recently announced rebranding.
As the Year of the Monkey
approaches, the team made
its debut with a celebratory
lion dance at Cathay City on 4
February. They will be in action
again at Cathay City or Dragonair
House on 8, and 15 February –
details on Daily News.
For information about the
Chinese Martial Arts Team and
its activities, contact organiser
Molly Shea on molly_shea@
cathaypacific.com.
e
Freighter fleet
gets new look
Get involved!
Different kinds of activities in the Club
Community
Including volunteering events
to help people in the local
community.
Second in-service aircraft now painted in the new livery
Charity
Fundraising activities such as the
recent Chennai flooding appeal.
Sports &
Recreation
From the 30-plus sports teams that
already exist to the new Cathay
Martial Arts Team and the Farm in
the Sky.
Events
Everything from the annual
Cathay/Dragonair Singing
Contest to hangar events and
performances at Cathay City.
Wellness
Including the EAP & Wellness
Week and regular expert talks on
how to live a healthier and more
fulfilling life.
Aviation fans around the world can now spot another
plane in the new Cathay livery flying around the
world. B-LIA, a Boeing 747-400ERF freighter, recently
became the second Cathay aircraft – and the first in
the freighter fleet – to be adorned with the new paint
job.
Director Cargo Simon Large is happy to welcome
B-LIA: “We are very excited to see the extended range
freighter in its new livery re-entering service. It looks
fantastic. The difference between the freighter livery
and the passenger livery is the size of the wordmark.
On the freighter we don’t have windows, which
enables us to have larger lettering – making it even
more visible. It looks strong and bold – in keeping
with the characteristics of the aircraft itself.”
B-LIA’s maiden voyage after her facelift took her
to Hong Kong from Xiamen, where she received her
paint job at HAECO Xiamen.
“The Engineering team drafted the engineering
drawing and design documentation before going
into technical review with HAECO Xiamen,” says Alvin
Yip, Senior Cabin Projects Engineer. “A great deal
of hard work, from procuring sufficient supplies of
paint materials to arranging aircraft ground slots and
manpower, went into this project.”
The painting for B-LIA was carried out under
close supervision by ENG. The HAECO Xiamen
technicians tackled numerous difficulties during the
28-day repaint work, including battling Xiamen’s low
temperature in winter that made aircraft painting
even more challenging. In addition, painting the
gradient on the tailfin was also a new experience for
the technicians.
“The steps and the way are we the paint mask,
especially for creating a colour gradient on the tail,
are much different from the work that was done on
the old livery,” says Alvin. “The new design is cleaner,
but the total time spent on painting was around
the same. The reason was that the colour gradient
involved more sophisticated handling.”
According to Brand Design Manager Daniel Heung,
the “new cargo livery is a key part of the companywide rebranding plan, featuring an updated and
streamlined brushwing, simplified corporate colour
palette and a more prominent display of the words
Cathay Pacific Cargo”.
After getting its new look, B-LIA has already
been dispatched to various destinations including
Mumbai, Chennai, Sri Lanka and Dubai.
“All the aircraft in both passenger and freighter
fleets will be repainted progressively. For now, the
paint team is working on B-LIB which is scheduled to
fly out of Xiamen on 11 March.” Alvin adds.
Educational
Regular talks at the Auditorium
in Cathay City to educate and
inform.
Visit IntraCX to find out more about
the Cathay Club
CX & You > Staff Welfare > Sports & Recreation
TEAM EFFORT: Technicians at HAECO Xiamen photographed with Laszlo Lanyi, Engineering Manager –
Xiamen Operations.
9
Jasim Al
Bastaki, Sales
& Marketing
Manager Bahrain
1. So you made a
remarkable achievement recently…
Cathay’s singing queen
Contest winner Mariam Ravzi
talks about her passion for singing
I raced in the Ironman 70.3 Bahrain
triathlon on 5 December.
2. How did you do?
I ranked third overall in the Bahraini
Men’s category and 10th out of 51
triathletes in the age category of
50-54.
Mariam Razvi can rightly be called Cathay’s own singing queen. Having triumphed at the Cathay/ Dragonair Singing Contest twice in 10
years, the Flight Purser recently scooped the top gong at the 2016
Inter-Hong Singing Contest, beating 10 contestants from the likes of
HSBC, Hong Kong Jockey Club, and MTR.
Mariam, of mixed heritage, is fluent in English and Cantonese.
Growing up, music was always part of her life.
“I love singing because it liberates my emotions,” says Mariam. “I often ruminate on the lyrics, relating the meaning to my own or others’
experience. The vociferous expression of poetry on a musical scale
can add up to move people powerfully. One of my favourite singers
is Ella Fitzgerald, because my favourite genre is jazz and I feel that my
own voice is good for jazz too.”
Mariam is no stranger to the stage. She started performing in
her school choir at an early age; the experience helped her control stage fright and get used to the limelight. “Although in reality,
no amount of experience can prepare you for the stage. In 2005, I
didn’t feel confident that I would win at all!” Mariam recalls.
Mariam covered Alicia Key’s hit song If I Ain’t Got You, at the InterHong competition which took place on the evening of 15 January at
the Paramount International Banquet Hall in Kowloon Bay.
Mariam says: “If I Ain’t Got You is one of my all-time favourites. Everyone in this world is looking for a special ‘you’, but that someone
can be defined as anything – and that thing to me is love, love in any
form.”
Mariam elaborates that it was a surprise for her to win, because
the standard was exceptionally high, saying: “Everyone performed to
their strengths; some sang love songs, some sang pop dance tunes,
some sang in English while others performed in Chinese. Everyone
delivered a stellar performance. I was glad to see the audience enjoying themselves too!
“It’s always a big honour for me to represent Cathay. Winning the
Inter-Hong signifies another remarkable achievement in my stage
history,” she says, extending her gratitude to General Manager People
Albert Wong and the S&R team, who went all the way to Kowloon Bay
to show their support.
Will Mariam be recording her own album? And will she consider
pursuing a career in music?
“I am busy with my flight duties as well as celebrations with my
friends!” Mariam grins. “I love my job as a cabin crew, and turning professional is not on the cards at all. It would be nice to be able to record
an album one day, though!”
Mariam is also planning a personal performance in 2016 to thank
her supporters and friends, so watch this space.
3. Congratulations. How did
you prepare for it?
A lifetime of running and two years
of triathlon and cycling training.
4. How much time do you
train per week?
Between 12 to 15 hours every week
– often twice a day, before and
after work.
5. Does it help with your line
of work?
Training towards a challenging
goal requires dedication. Endurance racing teaches me about
mental strength and focus.
6. Did you have any help for
training?
My triathlon coach, Ms Greer
Sansom, fitted training around my
work schedule and helped me to
realise that the quality of training
was more important than quantity.
7. Why did you want to try
the triathlon?
Everyone said that with my running
ability, I would make a good triathlete. The biggest challenge was
feeling comfortable swimming long
distances. But once my confidence
grew there was no holding back.
8. How does your family feel
about your achievement?
My nieces, nephews, cousins and
colleagues followed my race online. They were the ones who told
me to take up cycling.
9. We heard you had some
bigger help along the way…
I would like to thank HH Shaikh
Nasser bin Hamad (son of the King
of Bahrain) for his generous support. He made it possible for me to
qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World
Championship in Queensland,
Australia 2016.
10. What are you looking
forward to next?
I have my next Ironman experience
to look forward to now!
HKIA team commended for good service
Cathay was recently voted by passengers
as the Top Most Helpful Company in
a courtesy campaign organised by
Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK).
The campaign aimed to strengthen
customer service within the Hong Kong
International Airport (HKIA) community.
The Give Me 5 in the Airport campaign
was organised by AAHK, and a ballot
was opened in November 2015 to let
passengers vote for companies and
frontline staff that epitomised service
excellence in six award categories.
The results were revealed on 11
December, at an award presentation
ceremony held at the airport.
“The award serves to recognise our
airport staff’s effort and reflects the
appreciation of our passengers – indeed,
all other passengers going through the
hub,” says General Manager HKIA Liza Ng,
who accepted the Grand Award trophy
on behalf of the airline.
In the individual category, Baggage
Services Officer Martha Yu was voted as
the Most Helpful Staff. Martha says that
getting customers’ recognition is the
most rewarding part of her job.
“The business nature of the baggage
services counter means that people
only come to us when their luggage is
missing or damaged,” Martha says.
“To me, service excellence means
turning their frustration into a heartfelt
experience. Therefore, I always try to put
myself in passengers’ shoes. I listen to
them carefully and address their needs
as soon as possible, and best as I can.”
Martha adds: “There is always a sense
of satisfaction that comes with doing my
best to ensure passengers’ belongings
are well-handled and are returned safely
and efficiently.”
Congratulations to all our airport staff!
SERVICE EXCELLENCE: HKIA staff celebrate success at award ceremony.
PORT PEOPLE
Cathay goes on show
AMSTERDAM
The Vakantiebeurs is one of the world’s largest annual
exhibitions for the travel industry. This year, more than 1,200
exhibitors took part in the event that was hosted in the
Netherlands.
General Manager Europe Neil Glenn and Country Manager
Benelux Winnie Tong were on site on the opening day on 13
January. They unveiled the booth, presenting the new livery
and the Life Well Travelled philosophy to more than 50 travel
agents and journalists.
The Amsterdam team also ran a lucky draw at the
Vakantiebeurs, in which visitors could win a free return ticket
to Hong Kong by matching stunning photographs with
the correct destinations, in addition to subscribing to the
CXpecials newsletter.
Team UAE hosted a themed party in Dubai to kick off 2016.
Country Manager UAE & Oman Ashish Kapur thanked the staff
for their hard work in ensuring that 2015 was a resounding success.
The team also bade farewell to Assistant Manager Online Sales &
Marketing Elise To, who is retiring in February after 25 years of service.
More than 40 employees from various departments turned
up to the mad hatter party along with their plus-ones. They
wore imaginative hats, and enjoyed a fun-filled evening with a
scrumptious BBQ dinner. Foot-stomping music kept the dancefloor
busy.
There were plenty of prizes on offer. Sabatini Fialho and Ivan
Lanuza won the Mad Hatter Prize for their creative hats. Edwin
Gudino and Ivan Lanuza won the Nutty Professor Prize for being the
life of the party!
UAE
Which hat will you wear?
Music for the needy
AUCKLAND
The Auckland team booked a day away
from the office to support the Raukatauri
Music Therapy Centre, an NGO that works to
improve the lives of those who struggle with
special needs.
In January, a small group from the
Auckland team, including Country Manager
Mark Pirihi, rolled up their sleeves to help to
tidy up the centre’s grounds.
The Auckland team intends to provide
ongoing support to the centre, which has
expressed its appreciation to the hardworking gardeners.
The France team held a Christmas Party on 22
January at Hotel Relais and Spa at Charles De
Gaulle Airport.
The theme of this event was “Nous sommes
Paris”, meaning “We are Paris”. Everybody wore
blue, white, and red which symbolised the
French national flag. Of course the béret was
de rigeur too!
Country Manager France Selina Miao was
joined by 58 staff. Selina was thrilled to see
many faces gathered together to enjoy good
food and wine, saying: “Thank you everyone
for putting in the hard work to make 2015 a
fruitful year for the France team!”
The annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is one of those
great Australian traditions. Every Boxing Day, more than
600,000 spectators cram the shores of Sydney Harbour to
watch more than 100 yachts set off on the 1,170km course
to Tasmania. As you can imagine, the race is not for the
fainthearted, and sailors often face high seas and strong
winds in treacherous weather conditions.
This year, Australia’s Sales Planning & Pricing Manager
Sandra Garrie (below) was amongst the many brave
yachtspeople who competed the race.
Remarkably, Sandra began sailing only three years ago
in Sydney Harbour. In just three years, she has developed
a clear talent and a real passion for the sport.
Sandra’s 45-foot Beneteau – dubbed the Black Sheep
– arrived into Hobart after four days at sea. Her team
(including yacht owners Derek and Martin Shepherd)
found themselves finishing a highly respectable 43rd
overall, in addition to claiming third in its division and
15th overall in the handicap-adjusted field of 108 yachts.
“The last day was absolutely perfect,” Sandra says.
“Seeing the magnificent Tasmanian coastline for the first
time while being accompanied by a huge pod of dolphins
as we sailed down the Derwent River into Hobart... only to
be greeted by hundreds of cheering onlookers!”
After a few days in the Tasmanian capital, Sandra joined
a smaller crew to sail the Black Sheep back to Sydney.
Asked if she would like to do it again in 2016, Sandra
said she would love to, and recommended the experience
to anyone who enjoys a little adventure.
FRANCE
We are Paris
Life on the ocean wave
Fourteen runners from the Mumbai team took
part in the Mumbai Marathon on 17 January to
raise funds for the ATMA Foundation, a charity
that works towards the betterment of children.
The team took part in the 6km run, with
first-time runner Regional Sales & Marketing
Manager South Asia Rajesh Menon (inset)
being the only one to take on the 21km half
marathon. Rajesh managed to complete the
race in two hours 45 minutes.
“It is great to see the city getting together for
a noble cause,” says Rajesh. “I look forward to
improving my performance next year!”
MUMBAI
Mumbai Marathon
SEA CHANGE: Sandra joined the Sydney to Hobart Yacht
Race – three years after setting sail for the first time.
11
Photo log
Dipping into some of the most beautiful images submitted by
staff to Yammer.
Tiger canyon
Captain Brenton de la Harpe visited an Asian tiger
sanctuary in South Africa and observed a dire need
to conserve these beautiful animals
Remember Hope and Cathay, the two tiger cubs that
Cathay brought to South Africa for the Save China’s
Tigers charity in 2003? Well, if you are wondering
what happened to them, it pains me to tell you that
both cats have sadly departed this world. The good
news is, however, right next door to where they were
originally sent for rewilding in South Africa, now
exists a thriving Asian tiger breeding sanctuary.
Tiger Canyon, an 8,000-acre reserve situated
about 600km south of Johannesburg, is owned
and run by renowned conservationist and wildlife
filmmaker John Varty. It is home to some 24 Asian
tigers, including the only existing wild white tiger
today.
Imbued with natural beauty, Tiger Canyon
encompasses thick riverine bush, spectacular
canyons, rugged mountains, dramatic rock
formations and savannah grassland. Perfect habitat,
it would seem, for big cats.
While on vacation in South Africa with my family, I
took the opportunity to pay this extraordinary place
a visit. We enjoyed a quick coffee with John before
setting out in our game-viewing vehicle. These
vehicles were protected by cages, since the felines
are prone to jumping on cars!
Less than five minutes into our drive we already
spotted our first tiger, loping leisurely over
a rocky outcrop, not 100m from our position. With
a small herd of springbuck in sight, the tiger did
not seem in the slightest bit interested; instead, he
continued strolling on to where he finally settled
under a nearby thorn tree. Moments later, a second
tiger appeared from behind some riverine scrub
and joined him. They rubbed their faces together
in greeting, as cats do, before settling down in the
tree’s shade. It turned out that these particular
two tigers are brother and sister, named Mahindra
and Indira respectively. And yes, there was a tiger
named Tata too!
We observed these regal cats for about half an
hour before moving on. It wasn’t long before our
driver suddenly stopped and pointed to our right.
There, lying in the bush on the banks of a small
stream, was Tibo, the one and only wild white tiger.
Very shortly thereafter appeared her three normalcoloured cubs; the female cub was quite shy and
retreated back into the thick bush out of sight, but
the other two male cubs playfully proceeded to
tackle each other before nuzzling up to their mother.
John told us that there were only 1,000 tigers
left in the world, and one of them dies every day.
As we left this magnificent wildlife refuge, John’s
parting words to us were, “I don’t mind if this project
becomes known as the Cathay Pacific Tiger Canyon
Project!” Would Cathay mind?
Authentic Maldives experience
“I recently spent four nights in the Maldives on Hulhumale. Where I
stayed and ate were all run by local Maldivians, who took me to see
a school of majestic rays on a feeding frenzy! I sailed, snorkelled and
scuba-dived on the island where sea life was beautiful and abundant! Love chilling with sand in my toes!”
Camera: GoPro
Kawai Wong, Assistant Manager Communication Services, HKG
Peaceful Hong Kong
“A peaceful moment in the hills of Lantau, above all the chaos. The
photo was taken on the way up to Sunset Peak with Lantau Peak in
the background.
Some people seem to think that what Lantau needs is more tourist
attractions; but in my opinion the absence of attractions is the most
attractive of all...”
Camera: Samsung Galaxy S5
Paul Rimmer, Safety Training Specialist, HKG
The Twelve Apostles
“I visited the Apostles in Australia – and I was in awe with nature.
The monoliths were formed by erosion, with extreme weather chipping away the cliff faces, which in turn collapsed into the sea. The
name “Twelve” Apostles is somewhat misleading, as the ninth stack
of rocks gave away in 2005, leaving just eight behind.”
Camera:
iPhone6
Cindy Shi, Port Manager, Wenzhou