Hong Kong - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific airline was ordered Wednesday to compensate a group of pilots sacked during a 2001 industrial dispute.

The airline, one of Asia's biggest, was ordered to pay 3.3 million Hong Kong dollars (425,806 US dollars) to each of the 18 pilots it had sacked.

The ruling came after an eight-year legal fight brought by the pilots who were among a group of 49 sacked by the airline during a bitter dispute over pay and rosters.

The court ruled that Cathay Pacific wrongly and unfairly dismissed the pilots and ordered the airline to pay each pilot for defamatory remarks it made about them.

In addition, it ordered the airline to pay 150,000 Hong Kong dollars (19,354 US dollars) and one month's salary to each of the sacked pilots. Cathay Pacific was also ordered to pay legal costs.

There was no immediate reaction from Cathay Pacific or any comment on whether it would challenge Wednesday's ruling.

Cathay Pacific claimed it sacked the pilots on disciplinary grounds because they were acting against the airline's interests. The pilots claimed they were singled out for their union activities. (dpa)