On Wednesday’s Backchat, we're talking about calls to review the hiring and training of local pilots. This comes as a pilot training school in the United States suspended all solo flights for Cathay cadets, after three blunders -- including a wingtip collision, a bounced landing and an aircraft sliding off runway -- were said to have happened within a week. The airline announced that solo flight training for its cadets would resume once they follow the flying school's requirements, adding that safety remained their priority.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) -- which regulates flight safety in the US -- said that they were investigating allegations that some incidents were not properly reported. Industry figures have called on Hong Kong-based airlines to better scrutinise their training programmes.


Have training standards of pilots around the world decreased? Are trainees given enough guidance? And are our airlines offering attractive enough packages to lure experienced pilots back?


After 9:40, we learn more from industry experts on new AI privacy guidelines.

9:05am-9:40am: Blunders at Cathay cadet training school

9:05am-9:30am: Allan Zeman, former Board Member of the Airport Authority and Chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Group

9:05am-9:40am: Steven Cheung, Founder and CEO of private jet operator Seaplane Hong Kong Group and Founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Professional Airline Pilots’ Association


9:40am-10:00am: AI privacy guidelines

9:40am-10:00am: Prof Emil Chan, Founding Chairman of the Association of Cloud and Mobile Computing

9:40am-10:00am: Joshua Chu, Co-chair of the Hong Kong  Web3 Association