Hong Kong Airlines delays paying some staff

There have been many losers in this year’s increasingly violent and still ongoing anti-government protests. The latest are employees at Hong Kong Airlines after the carrier admitted its finances were under strain.

While cabin crew and overseas staff will get their November wages on time, all other Hong Kong-based workers will suffer delays.

In an e-mail to staff, Hong Kong Airlines said revenue fell significantly this month and affected the payroll, causing the delays.

Months of anti-government protests have weighed heavily on the airline’s bottom line as passenger traffic slumps. Hong Kong’s economy was already under pressure from the US-China trade war and is in recession as tourist numbers plummet.

Hong Kong Airlines isn’t the only airline in the embattled city to suffer from the protests. Cathay Pacific Airways is one of the most high-profile business casualties, issuing profit warnings and coming under fire from the Chinese government as well as protesters.

Aside from the transport sector, the financial services industry is also suffering as it seeks to protect staff and operations from disruption.