Cathay Pacific says strict new quarantine rules could cause “dramatic” supply chain outages in Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific’s warning came when the Hong Kong government announced that from Saturday, all cargo crews based in the city who have stayed abroad will have to spend seven days in hotel quarantine when they return. It is up from today’s three-day requirements.
“We warn that any further tightening of flight crew quarantine arrangements will lead to reductions in flight frequencies to protect crew members̵[ads1]7; well-being and the overall safety of our operations,” said Andy Wong, General Manager of Cathay Pacific’s Business Department. , in a statement.
He added that such actions would cause “dramatic disruptions to supply chains in the short term” and undermine Hong Kong International Airport as a “leading freight hub.”
Strict quarantine rules have already taken a toll on pilots at the carrier.
As employees of many airlines, all Cathay flight crews are fully vaccinated. But Cathay pilots told CNN Business weeks ago that the airline had adopted strict guidelines for those traveling to countries designated as “high-risk”, such as the United States, India and the United Kingdom. Pilots on their way to these places usually fly out for several weeks and still have to be quarantined at hotels again in Hong Kong.
In recent days, there have already been signs that Hong Kong was looking to strike down even more than it already does.
Cathay Pacific said on Thursday that it would cancel an unspecified number of passenger flights due to a “tightening” of the rules. It added that the city’s restrictions continue to “limit our ability to operate flights as planned.”
The company said in that statement that the flights will be canceled immediately and efficiently until “provisionally the first quarter of 2022,” adding that it intends to “operate a passenger timetable in January.”
In another statement on Friday, Cathay said it would suspend long-haul flights into the city for a week, adding that it would “work with customers to reduce disruption as much as possible.”
The Hong Kong Transport and Housing Bureau told CNN Business that it has “communicated closely with the aviation industry with a view to maintaining regular air freight services in and out of Hong Kong and meeting the basic daily needs of society, while safeguarding public health.”
Hong Kong’s strict rules have resulted in significant disruption to airlines, as any commercial airline arriving in the city with Covid-positive passengers, or not complying with containment measures, may be temporarily barred from operating passenger aircraft.
The Hong Kong government has suspended some international routes in the city from major airlines, including Qatar, Emirates, Korean Air, Turkish Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air and Finnair. Some passenger flights from cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Dubai, Manila and elsewhere have also been banned in recent days after people on these flights tested positive.
The Hong Kong government has said it will revise temporary bans on flights in early January.
