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Four airlines receive one-week bans from Hong Kong due to COVID-19 cases
April 7th 2022
Four airlines have received seven-day bans on flying a particular route to Hong Kong after a small number of their passengers tested positive to COVID-19 upon arrival in the special administrative region. Read More » Cathay Pacific Airways had four passengers test positive to the virus on an April 4 flight from Manchester, Qatar Airways had three positive cases on an April 4 flight from Doha, Malaysia Airlines had two passengers test positive and one passenger who did not comply with testing requirements on an April 3 service and Singapore Airlines (SIA) had one positive passenger and one who did not comply with testing requirements on an April 1 flight. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said the bans on SIA and Malaysia Airlines will end on April 11 and on April 12 for Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways.
Speaking overnight at a media briefing in Geneva, the International Air Transport Association director general, Willie Walsh, said Hong Kong’s travel restrictions made it “extremely difficult if not impossible for airlines to operate”. He added the city’s status as an aviation hub had been “severely impacted” by HKSAR air travel curbs.
