Sir Adrian Swire dies of cancer 24/8/2018

[Arfur Dent]

Charismatic ex Chairman of Swires and patriarch of the dynasty died recently. Absolute gentleman and keen pilot but it has to be said, he was no friend or supporter of his Cathay Aircrew colleagues when the accountants moved in. RIP.

[Apple Tree Yard]

Sir Adrian allowed the pilots to be debased, abused and denigrated. I will reserve my sympathies for my colleagues and my own family, who have had to pay the price for that over the past 25 years. His billions are doing him precious little good now.

[olster]

How about a little respect and perspective?

[olster]

No. Not appropriate.

[Air Profit]

I'd say his perspective is spot on. Sir Adrian had the past 25 yrs to make an executive decision to preserve the legacy, value and "respect" of our profession, and continue to recognise the sacrifice and dedication of his aircrew that made CX what it was (was). He chose to instead allow us to be subject to a rogues gallery of self-serving, immoral managers. Or have you all forgotten the 49er's. No, I think ATY has exactly the right perspective.

[mngmt mole]

Nothing wrong with ATY's comment. I was once told, "if you wish to be spoken highly of in death, be careful how you conduct yourself through life". No-one currently employed here has reason to feel that SAS had our best interests at heart, or did anything to stop the collapse in value, lifestyle and security that a career at CX once provided. I am happy his family are the inheritors of his vast fortune. RIP.

[mngmt mole]

Sir Adrian had a choice to make, many years ago. He chose to emphasis personal family wealth above all other considerations. In particular, he turned his back on the loyalty, expertise, dedication and sacrifice of his aircrew, the very people who strived most to create the once great airline called Cathay Pacific (now nothing more than a grotesque shadow of its former self). That legacy has been destroyed.

The name is still there, but its soul, character, nature and established place has been squandered. All for a few more $$$ in the family pockets. I can't mourn his passing, as he had the ultimate responsibility and duty of care towards what he knew and recognised as the excellence his aircrew provided (and the associated sacrifice and support of their families). His wealth has been purchased on the backs of thousands of hard working individuals.

He made his choice, and I make mine as to how I choose to relate to his passing. The family is many billions of $$$ better off than the day I joined, and just a few of those $ would have continued to provide his loyal aircrew proper security for themselves and their families. Perhaps Merlin will value his ultimate reputation a bit more highly (how many more billions do you want Merlin?). ATY was completely correct in his statement.

[Freehills]

Socialists! The loyal Kenyan tea pickers he employed could say exactly the same thing and they would be right, plus have more need

[mngmt mole]

Need is subjective, and not relative. His pilots deserve rewarding, secure and stable careers. All they have been provided is the complete opposite. Meanwhile, the fruits of their labours mainly accrue to the Swire family, and a small coterie of managers. That is not sustainable, nor right. Of course, it is ultimately up to the pilots to ensure that that balance is redressed, through even stronger industrial action if necessary. Otherwise, the Swire family will continue to gorge on the ever increasing heap of dead pilot careers.

[Freehills]

Agreeing with you, and it applies with bells to most relationships between capital and labour - the share of income going to labour in salaries and wages has been steadily decreasing the last 30 years

[Avinthenews]

Swire started his career for a subsidiary of the family business, Butterfield & Swire Far East, in 1956.[2]

He was the chairman of John Swire & Sons from 1987 to 1997, and from 2002 to 2004.[2] He was on the board of directors of Cathay Pacific, an airline partially owned by the family business, from 1965 to 2005.[2]

Will be interesting if Merlin has any passion for aviation he may hate it after being named after an engine, he may not like CX at all.

[AnAmusedReader]

To many of our more senior pilots two of the most charismatic and charming guys in charge were SAS and Peter Sutch. I knew both and they certainly came across as good guys supporting their pilots. However, they were not; both had no problem at all in starting the campaign against their pilots whilst wanting to be seen as good guys.

[Hamburger]

To many of our more senior pilots two of the most charismatic and charming guys in charge were SAS and Peter Sutch. I knew both and they certainly came across as good guys supporting their pilots. However, they were not; both had no problem at all in starting the campaign against their pilots whilst wanting to be seen as good guys.

How about Michael Miles and David Gledhills?

[Dan_Brown]

Only one thing worse than running a person down behind their back and that is when they're dead.

I dispise corporate culture and greed as much as any person.

How many people here moaning about CX pay conditions, hold a Hong Kong or Chinese passport? If you don't hold the appropriate passport for the country you're living and working, you are a guest are you not? If so behave as one, if not get out. When you're a guest you have no rights.

[Starbear]

WHAT?! Who the f*ck made you arbiter /sheriff of what’s appropriate? How many of the original Cathay entrepreneurs held such a passport?

[Dan_Brown]

WHAT?! Who the f*ck made you arbiter /sheriff of what’s appropriate? How many of the original Cathay entrepreneurs held such a passport?


Don't you say What to me sonny. I made myself arbiter and sheriff.

[mngmt mole]

Dan, "running the person down behind their back"...?, You mean, like the star chamber did to the 49ers, resulting in the deaths of three people. Yea, thought that's what you meant. The rest of us can comment on just how coldly he seemed to turn his back on the very people who dedicated their careers, their family's hopes and their financial security to CX's success. I am not personally "denigrating" the man, but I am certainly going to point out how he seemingly sacrificed the well-being of his staff for the personal gain of his family. So you can "sheriff" that if you like.

[krismiler]

Few Australian pilots hold Peter Abels in high regard either.

[SandwichOfficer]

Isn’t SAS an honourary lifetime member of the HKAOA?