Transport minister Lam Sai-hung on Thursday criticised Cathay Pacific's recent performance, saying it had done a poor job of communicating and following up with passengers over flight cancellations.

The flapship carrier came under fire after it cancelled flights at short notice over the Christmas holidays. It has admitted that it underestimated the number of pilots it needed in reserve to maintain normal operations.

Lam told a radio programme that he had told Cathay's management to improve, adding that the priority now was to ensure smooth travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

He said the airline must plan for emergencies.

"It has the responsibility to provide stable and reliable services. It also has the responsibility to arrange its flights and staffing... the government has the role of supervisor, and we hope they can improve in various ways," he said.

But he stopped short of saying whether Cathay should be punished for its poor performance.

Cathay has cancelled flights on non-peak days for the next two months to ensure normal operations over the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.