SINGAPORE: For more than half a century, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd has been Hong Kong’s gateway to the world, its mix of British heritage and Asian high-altitude luxury bridging the city’s colonial past with its Chinese location.

But it’s that unique cultural blend that has ensnared the carrier in an increasingly out-of-control political uprising sweeping through the streets.

After months of anti-Beijing demonstrations in the city, Cathay is emerging as the corporate fall guy as it struggles to navigate a path between the demands of the mainland and employees sympathetic to the uprising.