By April Cathay pacific Airways carried just a third the number of passengers it did the same time the previous years. Passenger numbers for some airlines were reduced by as much as 80% Cathay responded to fears that SARS spread through air travel by placing newspaper advertisement in which it pledged to do “everything in its power to safeguard the health” of passengers and staff. In mid-May Dragonair, United Airlines, and the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company joined Cathay Pacific in asking employees to take unpaid leave. In so doing, the airlines tried to conserve cash while avoiding layoffs. In July Cathay Pacific resumed 70% of its scheduled services, and by 90% by August. One month after the lifting of the WHO travel advisories, the region’s airlines were surprised by the quick return of demand to pre-SARS levels.