What exactly ?
Not sure what all the fuss about this is. There have been Hong Kong bases Captains on Hong Kong rosters for a while now. Granted they are on the pay scale of whatever base the are in.
Also there are quite a few freighter FOs based in Hong Kong now, flying both the classic and the 400. As far as I know they do not get 13th so for them this might be good. FOs will be on pax pay by year four so who cares ?? If not they will be on by pass pay (unless the co has figured out how to get around that !!
Comparing Freighter scales between USAB and the new Hong Kong freighter is nowhere near as big a pay difference as that between some of the pax bases and Hong Kong. Or worse yet between bases !!
What is interesting is that it will cost the company more. So why are they offering it officially now ?
hmmmm