Flight attendants for Hong Kong’s largest airline will be randomly inspected after staff were reported to be making off with in-flight goodies

Ice cream cups, bottles of champagne, cutlery, wine glasses and bread are some of the items Cathay Pacific staff are said to have taken home as an “unofficial perk,” according to the South China Morning Post.

“In view of an increasing number of reported losses of company property, we have informed our cabin crew that random inspections will be carried out,” said the company in a written statement to The Telegraph on Tuesday.

Cathay’s flight attendants union confirmed a number of staff were searched April 17, when flight CX415 from Seoul landed in Hong Kong, and Cathay said it was dealing with six employees who had been caught with company property “in a fair and reasonable manner.”

The airline has a zero-tolerance policy on taking company property, according to an internal memo circulated in January in which Ed Higgs, Cathay’s General Manager Inflight Services, warned staff the searches would take place.

Staff caught taking company property could lose their jobs, Mr Higgs said.

All airlines have a policy where staff are not allowed to take company property, said Venus Fung, Chairperson of the Cabin Attendants Union of Hong Kong, but she called for more empathy from Cathay for its staff, saying that the spot checks showed little respect for the crew.