Hong Kong Airlines has been hit by an alarming amount of pilot resignations in the last six months with over 35 quitting recently, reports state.

The airline claimed that the turnover was normal but a spokesman for the Hong Kong Airline Pilots Association, an organization that represents three pilot groups in Hong Kong, released a statement saying:

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"[The rate] is certainly not normal and is unsustainable - particularly for an airline which wishes to grow. Pilots are a long-lead-time item - they require training, which is time-consuming and expensive. You cannot replace a pilot as easily as you can replace a clerk or even a manager."

But neither Hong Kong Airlines nor the Civil Aviation Department were willing to give further details about why such a high quantity of pilots are leaving the budget airline.

The tide of resignations has left the airline with around 250 pilots to fly its 22 aircraft. In comparison, Cathay Pacific has over 2,900 pilots to fly around 140 aircraft.

Outside sources attribute the resignations to dissatisfaction with conditions of service, lack of a commuting roster, and the rise of European aviation which has made more jobs available abroad.

There have also been rumors that management had told pilots to fly more than the 12 to 14 hours stipulated by the department and risked losing bonuses if they reported it.

The airline denied all such charges and instead released a statement claiming that the main reason for most pilots to leave Hong Kong Airlines was in order to return to their home countries or to pursue a wider career path.

This is only the most recent setback the airline has experienced. In November, transport minister Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung voiced concerns over safety standards after seven "deviations from regulations" were reported on HKA flights in August and September.

TagsHong Kong Airlines, pilot, unhappy, resign, resignation