Practiced Spin
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Joined: Nov 2015
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From: HK-CRoC
Practiced Spin
In the latest diatribe from our Leadership team member GMO, he puts fantastic spin on a topic that only a well practiced Leadership member can.
"We cancelled the 777 program installing Class 3 devices on the aircraft because the industry had moved beyond us and the expense did not justify the gains"
"To try and deliver some benefits this year, and to catchup with the industry we have created a separate project called Flight Crew Digital Operations"
To parse the above:
'"We", actually should mean "I" as the EFB has been his baby since its inception many years ago..
"Cancelled the 777 program", actually this was an all fleet program where some 777's had been wired and eventually all AC would be. Only after the fact was it discovered it was probably not certifiable on AB (oops !! flush)
"Class 3 Devices", these are the "in house" developed EFB's (including in-house software developed by a team over a couple of years) that you now see gathering dust in the file rooms and else where. If you hear a flushing sound when you read this that would be all the millions of dollars going going down the toilet once again on poorly thought out project given to the wrong person on the premise of saving money..
"Try and deliver some benefits this year", this means lets try and save face after wasting millions of dollars by "we" (which means I) coming up with another project name that will save us millions (after we spend more millions on this plan B)...
"the industry had moved beyond us and the expense did not justify the gains", what this means is that years back "The Industry" actually had solutions however in only the way CX can - "We Have A Better Solution that we will develop in house"- which meant we know better, we will go it alone and blow lots of cash only to have the project flop, flush the cash down the toilet and start again.
(and BTW, the same has happened with the A50 eTech log....flush)
Flush, Flush, Flush.. I'm getting tired of hearing that sound.
"We cancelled the 777 program installing Class 3 devices on the aircraft because the industry had moved beyond us and the expense did not justify the gains"
"To try and deliver some benefits this year, and to catchup with the industry we have created a separate project called Flight Crew Digital Operations"
To parse the above:
'"We", actually should mean "I" as the EFB has been his baby since its inception many years ago..
"Cancelled the 777 program", actually this was an all fleet program where some 777's had been wired and eventually all AC would be. Only after the fact was it discovered it was probably not certifiable on AB (oops !! flush)
"Class 3 Devices", these are the "in house" developed EFB's (including in-house software developed by a team over a couple of years) that you now see gathering dust in the file rooms and else where. If you hear a flushing sound when you read this that would be all the millions of dollars going going down the toilet once again on poorly thought out project given to the wrong person on the premise of saving money..
"Try and deliver some benefits this year", this means lets try and save face after wasting millions of dollars by "we" (which means I) coming up with another project name that will save us millions (after we spend more millions on this plan B)...
"the industry had moved beyond us and the expense did not justify the gains", what this means is that years back "The Industry" actually had solutions however in only the way CX can - "We Have A Better Solution that we will develop in house"- which meant we know better, we will go it alone and blow lots of cash only to have the project flop, flush the cash down the toilet and start again.
(and BTW, the same has happened with the A50 eTech log....flush)
Flush, Flush, Flush.. I'm getting tired of hearing that sound.
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 5
From: London
Well, the eventual 'loudest' flushing sound will be that of the aircrew training budget, as it has to cope with the hundreds of pilots leaving CX to establish happier and more stable careers elsewhere. Considering the multiple opportunities most of us have in our home countries, it would be suicidal to not take up the offer of a better job elsewhere. Seniority isn't just about when you get on a list, it's how many others get on that list before you. The next 24 months will prove to be the time to make the most of the present pilot shortage and airline panic in hiring. Don't be stuck without a chair when the music eventually stops...
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 5
From: London
Arfur. Safe to say, yes, 'hundreds' are/will be leaving. As the old saying goes: "how to you go bankrupt...?, at first slowly, then suddenly". Eventually CX will find themselves with a critical shortage of pilots. As a matter of fact, there is already a serious shortage, getting worse by the week. The company has deluded themselves into believing that they can replace experience with 'youth'. That 'works', until it doesn't. Their arrogance and stubbornness has brought the airline to this point. It won't end well for any of the parties involved. The only sure mitigation is to diligently seek and embrace a better employer, in a better place. Most of us have finally concluded that such a move is essential to long term survival. That is what this management has sown....
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: uk
Be difficult to spin this:
Cathay Pacific loses blue-chip status on Hong Kong stock market | South China Morning Post
Cathay Pacific loses blue-chip status on Hong Kong stock market | South China Morning Post
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 397
Likes: 0
From: hong kong
When they continue to promote an inbred Management whose only direction is ‘ cost cutting + ridiculous fuel hedging policies’ this is the result we have all been predicting.....
It should come as absolutely no surprise.
So much said here in these forums couldn’t be truer.
It should come as absolutely no surprise.
So much said here in these forums couldn’t be truer.
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 401
Likes: 1
From: hongkong
I don’t think anyone really gives a 
actually. The management know where it’s all headed and they’ll be gone shortly. If you think it won’t happen think ‘ansett’ .. assets sold off, including eventually the airline itself then.. bankruptcy and 16,000 good people out of a job with no severance or pensions. Thank you Rod .. great job.
actually. The management know where it’s all headed and they’ll be gone shortly. If you think it won’t happen think ‘ansett’ .. assets sold off, including eventually the airline itself then.. bankruptcy and 16,000 good people out of a job with no severance or pensions. Thank you Rod .. great job.
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 0
Likes: 1
From: Polar Route
Rod didn’t do this. Not even close! CX screwed it up all by themselves. Try Tony, John, Ivan, Nick, Richard, and the whole current team. They’ve been asleep at the wheel for decades. The only difference now is that the pilots won’t be bailing them out. Time to sink or swim...
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 0
Likes: 1
From: Polar Route
Is the ship really going to sink? The business model and market are still robust despite p!ss poor management. It wouldn’t take a Hail Mary to turn things around, just some reasonable decision making. They would have to learn the difference between cost and value. Will they?
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 5
From: London
That is the irony in the current situation. Just when the company needs the combined efforts of all it's employees working together to stabilise the ship, they have effectively managed to turn (at least the thousands of pilots) those very same employees into mutineers and saboteurs. Instead of working together to 'help' the airline, most if not all are passively/aggressively working together to 'hurt' the airline. That is what you end up with when you push people far enough: they stop caring. Not only that, many make it their mission to send their own message. Are you starting to hear that AT and RH? It never needed to be this way. YOU chose that course of action, and now you will reap what you sow. I truly think you are both living in a world of delusion, not appreciating that what you 'hear' is far different than what we 'think'. The truth will be revealed by the ever increasing crewing crisis. It is only going to get worse...much worse.
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 0
Likes: 1
From: Polar Route
... and now that CX is in crisis mode, they expect us to come running to the rescue. No thanks. You broke it, you fix it! What was the old adage you don’t hear much anymore? “It’s their trainset.” Now that it’s broken, it’s our trainset to fix. How does that work?