Cathay’s signature staff recognition awards, The Betsy Awards, were held on 6th May at Cathay City. Over 200 nominations were received, with 18 winning teams selected, recognising a total of 558 employees – a record high. 

This year marked the inaugural presentation of the Grand Award, which was presented to the crossdepartmental team behind the submission “Our Fastest Ever Fleet-Wide Inspection” in the Safety and Operational Excellence category. 

In September last year, a fire alarm was triggered in one of the engines on flight CX383 to Zurich during take-off. The crew promptly followed emergency procedures, coordinating with air traffic control to return safely to Hong Kong. Cabin crew reassured passengers, while the customer service team arranged onward travel for those affected, ensuring a smooth and orderly process. 

After the aircraft landed, the engineering team recognised that this might not be an isolated incident. They decided to carry out a preventive inspection on the entire A350 fleet, working through the night to examine all 48 aircraft. Ultimately, 16 aircraft were found to require parts replacement. Within five days, all affected aircraft were repaired and returned to service. It was only afterwards that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a directive requiring all A350-1000 aircraft with the relevant engines to undergo preventive checks. 

Named after Cathay Pacific’s first aircraft, the DC-3 “Betsy”, the awards pay tribute to the pioneering spirit of the airline’s founders and underscore the company’s heartfelt appreciation for its people – celebrating their excellence, service and attitude across the entire Cathay group.