254 LHR HKG

[Blowback]

I was supposed to meet friends traveling on this flight today
Does anyone know why this flight was cancelled .? From the website

Advice to Passengers:
Departure:We regret to inform CX254/07FEB has been cancelled. Please arrive early to the airport, before 1930, for rebooking options. Alternative arrangements will be made after this. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

[clear.right]

Probably a "strategic" cancellation.

A search of the internet finds this article.

Cathay pilots set for Christmas work-to-rule protest as pay row rumbles on | South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1633466/cathay-pilots-set-christmas-work-rule-protest-pay-row-rumbles?page=all)

Cathay Pacific passengers could face a frustrating Christmas after pilots, unhappy with a pay offer, voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.

Some 93 per cent of Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association members voted "yes" in an online poll asking them whether they wanted to press ahead with their first work-to-rule protest since 2001, a letter sent to members yesterday shows.

The letter did not state when the work-to-rule, or contract compliance, campaign would take place. But in an earlier letter, the union told members action "must" start within 42 days of a vote result being announced.

Pilots said the action would see staff refuse to work on rostered days off, and would have a "significant" impact, causing delays and cancellations.

Cathay is no stranger to threats of industrial action over the holidays; last year, members of the pilots' union voted to take action but agreed in December to hold talks. Cabin crew had also threatened action in 2012.

Some 2,100 of Cathay's 2,900 pilots are members of the union. About 90 per cent of members voted in the latest poll.

Pilots' union general secretary Chris Beebe said yesterday that industrial action was "likely" but that the union wanted more talks with Cathay. A decision to scrap the protest would be "contingent upon a better pay offer".

In September, the airline offered Hong Kong-based crew increases of 4 per cent this year, 3 per cent next year and 3 per cent in 2016. For those based in Europe, the rises would be a percentage point lower this year and next. Those in New Zealand would get 1 per cent each year.

A "disappointed" Cathay spokesman said further talks were planned.

"We have been in regular communication with the negotiating committee ... and look forward to further discussions later this month," he said. The nature of the airline business meant the company had to prepare resources to cover any eventuality.

"We will do our best to make sure that we continue to operate our flight services as scheduled."

One Cathay pilot said the looming industrial action would have a bigger impact than the last such campaign in 2001, because the airline's staffing was significantly more stretched. Junior pilots were typically called in on their days off two or three times a month, cutting into their social lives, the pilot added.

"We will not be answering phone calls, unless of course we are on standby," the pilot said, nor would crew arrive early to do preparatory work, as was usual.

The 2001 industrial action ended in the sacking of 51 pilots, 49 of them on one day. The 49ers, as the sacked pilots became known, engaged in a lengthy legal battle with the company.

[Captn_Kirk]

I hope IOC, or whoever takes the decision to cancel flights out of LHR, are getting smart about this.

If they regularly cancel a flight out of London, they might have to give up a precious slot.

[spannersatcx]

Nothing to do with IOC, and it was not strategic.

[Arfur Dent]

Very mysterious Spanners!:hmm: Oh I know - it was a tech problem........

[joblow]

250 on 9th Feb also cancelled There was no Capt listed earlier in the day so I guess they never found one

[jetsam]

Nothing to do with contract compliance. We are all working normally and operating exactly as we are supposed to. Just so many of us up at 900 block hours, my trip changed.six hours into next HK day to stay legal.

Horses mouth is lack of available captains and relief commanders.
Today's 251 cancelled as aircraft left on ground in LHR with no crew. A bit of DT (sic)ing going on too as crew in wrong place.

Too few crew, so many new aircraft and an arrogance from the bean counters that pilots grow on trees.
Plus of course, little anticipation and an hubristic assumption on FTLs on behalf of certain soon to be gone chiefs.

[jetsam]

Which is why 254 was left in a very expensive parking lot.
In fact two aircraft parked. Pax protected to other Cx flights, BA and Virgin( costs Cx full fare but same terminal -3) - Ticket money paid out for two days disruptions US$ 150,000.
That does not include the cost of parking two aircraft and PXing London crew home iso operating the resultant 251 out of HK.
- cost of goodwill?