Cathay Pacific has been forced to postpone the launch of a global advertising campaign after photographs of crew members engaging in a sexual activity in the cockpit of an aircraft were published.

The campaign – under the tagline Meet the team who go the extra mile to make you feel special - was due to launch in September.

Last week Chinese newspapers published photos they claim are of a Cathay Pacific flight attendant and pilot engaged in sexual activity onboard a plane.

Both have now left the company John Slosar, chief executive of Cathay, said earlier.

“I can confirm that two members of our crew shown in compromising situations in photographs published recently in Chinese-language daily newspapers are no longer employees of the company,” explained Slosar.

Cathay has been quick to dampen the uproar over potential safety implications of the photographs.

“The investigation has so far found no indication that the incidents in question had occurred on one of our flights while it was airborne,” explained a statement.

Cathay has been working with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department following the incident.

Compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance prevented Cathay from disclosing any personal information or circumstances of any individual employee, concluded the statement.