The chief executive of Cathay Pacific Airways has resigned following pressure by Beijing on the Hong Kong carrier over participation by some employees in anti-government protests.
The airline said Rupert Hogg resigned on Friday “to take responsibility” following “recent events”.
Company chairman John Slosar said the airline needed new management because events had “called into question” its commitment to safety and security.
Last week, China’s aviation regulator said Cathay Pacific employees who “support or take part in illegal protests, violent actions, or overly radical behaviour” are banned from staffing flights to mainland China.
Cathay Pacific said a pilot who was charged with rioting had been removed from flying duties.
Hong Kong is in its third month of protests that started in opposition to a proposed extradition law but have expanded to include demands for a more democratic system.
Augustus Tang, a veteran of the company’s operations in Hong Kong, Japan and Malaysia, was named as Mr Hogg’s successor.
