Hong Kong Will No Longer Require Crew To Quarantine

Hong Kong International Airport

IATA/ICAO Code:

HKG/VHHH

Country:

China (Special Administrative Region)

CEO:

Fred Lam

Passenger Count :

1,196,000 (2021)

Runways :

07R/25L - 3,800m (12,467ft) | 07L/25R - 3,800m (12,467ft)

Terminals:

Terminal 1 | Terminal 2
Cathay Pacific

IATA/ICAO Code:

CX/CPA

Airline Type:

Full Service Carrier

Hub(s):

Hong Kong International Airport

Year Founded:

1946

Alliance:

oneworld

CEO:

Ronald Lam

Country:

China (Special Administrative Region)

Region:

Asia

As one of the territories with the strictest pandemic regulations, Hong Kong will finally scrap its quarantine rules for locally-based airline crew from September 10th. Under the relaxations, locally based aircrew are allowed to return home after obtaining a negative test result conducted at the airport upon arrival.

Previously, the aircrew was required to quarantine at a designated hotel for three nights before returning home. And the three-day enforcement was before the seven-day requirement and even harsher requirements that lasted over a week. The strict quarantine measures had resulted in several international carriers suspending flights to Hong Kong and local ones forced to severely reduce flights.

Small steps of relaxation

Besides the removal of quarantine regulations, Hong Kong will also cease temperature checks for some passengers at Hong Kong International Airport. Outbound and transit passengers departing for overseas destinations via the airport will not be required to have their temperature checked. Unfortunately, inbound passengers for Hong Kong and departing passengers bound for China or Macao will still have their temperatures taken.

Hong Kong International Airport has slipped through global rankings due to the pandemic. Photo: Phillip Capper via Wikimedia Commons

According to the Hong Kong Government, the new rules will see more flights inbound and outbound from Hong Kong and revive its stale aviation industry. The government said:

"It will effectively facilitate airlines to enhance flight services between Hong Kong and other parts of the world, and enable Hong Kong to play its role as an international aviation hub."

Cathay Pacific CEO Augustus Tang also welcomed the news and the succession of developments to relax travel restrictions in the past few months. He also added that the new changes would allow Hong Kong carriers to add back several more flights to build momentum and speed up recovery.

Still not enough

While the relaxations provide good news, the significant downside remains as scrapping for quarantine only applies to local aircrew, meaning it is still required for passengers and international aircrew to stay in hotels for three nights. With more than 45 airlines no longer flying to Hong Kong because of the quarantine requirements, the government's hopes of Hong Kong returning to its previous status as an aviation hub seems unlikely.

But that doesn't mean airlines have given up on Hong Kong. On the contrary, they are eager, given the popular market, which is why airlines have asked the city to provide a more precise timeline of when such measures will be lifted. The rush for a timeline also comes with a crucial reason, as these airlines warn that Hong Kong could be left out of their schedules for next year, given as no one knows when the relaxations will occur.

British-Airways-Boeing-787-9-Dreamliner-G-ZBKM — Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

According to the General Manager of Hong Kong at Air New Zealand, Yolanda Yu Yang, airlines need six to nine months to plan fleet and workforce arrangements. Considering it is nearing the year-end, airlines would now be planning for next year's summer flight schedule, as Yu confirms:

"Currently, we are working on the flying season from next March onwards. Without knowing much of the changes about the city, the border set up, Hong Kong will be dropped out again in the airline planning cycle."

Bottom line

It has been acknowledged that the government is having ongoing internal conversations on whether to reduce or scrap quarantine requirements entirely ahead of the summit of global bankers and an international rugby competition in November. However, as Hong Kong battles a resurgence in infections, it also seems unlikely that the restrictions will be lifted by the end of the year, which means the city might continue being left out of next year's summer schedules.

Hopefully, the year-end will bring better news for foreign airlines and travelers eager to return to Hong Kong. If quarantines remain, it might take until late next year or even the year after before the city's air traffic returns anywhere near pre-pandemic levels. Still, Hong Kong's once-prestigious international airport remains relatively less busy, and local carriers will continue to recover slower.