By the late ’70s, Tsai was troubled by what he saw as wastefulness in areas such as marketing. He voiced his concerns to Managing Director, Duncan Bluck, telling him he was so disheartened, he was considering resigning. Soon afterwards, Tsai was appointed Director, Marketing & Sales – enabling him to call the shots on spending and play a role in Cathay’s bid to fly to London, a dream achieved in 1980.
In June 1981, Cathay Pacific ground staff at Kai Tak Airport went on strike for higher pay. He recalled: "Everything ground to a halt at the airport and Duncan Bluck asked me to negotiate for a settlement with the union. I had no idea about personnel and the reasons for the strike – but we reached a settlement in 72 hours." In 1982, he was appointed to the Board of John Swire & Sons (H.K.), making him one of the most senior Chinese people in Swire at that time.
As retirement approached, Tsai was asked to stay on. In 1985, he was appointed Executive Director with Special Responsibilities, becoming Deputy Managing Director of Cathay a year later. With the 1997 Handover looming, Tsai's skills and experience were invaluable, and his abilities as a diplomatist led to his career being extended a dozen years. He was closely involved in discussions to secure the airline's future, including Cathay and CITIC Pacific's participation in regional carrier, Dragonair, of which he became a Director: "I felt perhaps those matters really required my attention – or, with my ego, I believed I might have done better than others could!" he later said modestly.
In 1994, Tsai became Deputy Chairman of Cathay. In fact, he became the public face of Cathay's commitment to Hong Kong, offering a leadership role that helped contribute to the city's ongoing growth, development and stability. It is testimony to the high regard in which he was held that the Hong Kong SAR Government appointed him to the Board of the Airport Authority in 1999. At that time, Tsai remarked: "Working in an airline is a lot of fun and offers more experience in every field than in many other industries. Once you join the airline business, you never think of leaving the industry."
Patrick was known for his quick wit. Back when he joined, in 1962, Cathay suspended its service to Sydney because its turboprop Electra aircraft couldn’t compete with Qantas’s Boeing 707 jets. When Bluck (who was then the Commercial Manager), saw the discrepancy between target and actual revenue, he joked: “Well, if this sort of performance continues, Patrick, you’d better jump out of the window.” Without missing a beat, Tsai replied: “After you, sir!”
In his later years, he lost none of his sparkle or his grasp of facts and figures. His passion was horse-racing, and he owned several winners. Patrick and his wife Ellen, who predeceased him, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2019. He is survived by his son and daughter, to whom we extend our deepest sympathies.
