Cathay Pacific on Friday denied not having enough pilots to support its current flight schedule, saying work is underway to hire more workers with a view to returning to pre-Covid service capacity.

Hong Kong's flag carrier made the comment after its pilots' union said the plan to hire 800 cadet pilots in 2023-2024 would not solve its manpower crunch.

The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association said Cathay is not short of cadets but need 670 more captains to resume normal operations.

“Many of these cadets will make fine first officers and captains. However, this takes time and in the meantime Cathay and Hong Kong lacks experienced pilots in the cockpit to train a new generation of pilots and to recover as an aviation hub that can compete with places like Singapore, Guangzhou and Shenzhen,” the union's chairman, Paul Weatherilt, said.

"There are many Hong Kong pilots available but Cathay isn’t prepared to pay a market rate for experience."

But Cathay dismissed these concerns, saying the numbers of leavers have "normalised" across all staff groups.

It added that 250 pilots, who had previously left the company, are re-joining the company.

"We have sufficient pilots, cabin crew and operational employees to support our current flight schedule. We are confident that our ongoing training, promotion and recruitment plans will ensure this remains the case as we rebuild," the airline’s spokesperson said.

Cathay also said it is committed to providing competitive remuneration to its employees.