Cathay Pacific Airways had three pilots in a row within a week. After arriving in Hong Kong from Frankfurt, Germany, they were diagnosed after returning home due to exemption from quarantine and "walking into the community".
The Hong Kong government and Cathay Pacific immediately tightened the requirements for the crew to prevent the epidemic. However, some political parties and experts have asked the Hong Kong government to "enhance the heat" and further tighten the crew exemption arrangements. Some have proposed compulsory hotel quarantine for at least 7 days.
But Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pointed out today (16th) that the current measures are appropriate and that taking into account the overall social operation, if there are more similar incidents, there may be no more cargo pilots on duty.
According to the air transport industry, since the outbreak of the epidemic, the global supply chain has been chaotic, shipping prices have risen due to unstable shipping schedules, and some goods have been shipped by sea.
Christmas is the peak shipping season. If the quarantine arrangements for freighter pilots are further tightened at this time, the already fragile shipping logistics will increase pressure.
Some industries have communicated with airlines earlier that even if airlines can re-employ and train pilots, it is difficult to solve their urgent problems in time. Once the quarantine of cargo pilots is tightened, freight costs will rise sharply.
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Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on October 26 that most of the groups exempted from quarantine would be cancelled to increase confidence in customs clearance in the Mainland.
At that time, it was reported that the crew quarantine arrangements would be tightened, but the final plan announced did not tighten the crew quarantine requirements.
However, about a week later, there were three consecutive cases in Hong Kong. The freighter pilot arrived in Hong Kong from Frankfurt, Germany, and returned home according to the exemption arrangement.
The Transportation and Housing Bureau immediately strengthened the crew's anti-epidemic arrangements, requiring them to have a daily inspection, and all crew members must receive a third shot.
Cathay Pacific also introduced new guidelines yesterday. Starting tomorrow (17th), employees who have stayed at other stations and are exempt from quarantine must stay at home for the first 3 days after returning to Hong Kong and can only go out for a maximum of two hours a day.
Currently only cargo planes and crew members without passengers are exempted
At present, the government has different quarantine arrangements for different crew members after returning to Hong Kong.
According to government information, all local crew members who need to enter the local community are generally required to self-quarantine in designated quarantine hotels.
Only the crew of the freighter who is involved in the return on the same day, or who only stays in a specific place, or the crew of the passenger-carrying aircraft, can be exempted.
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Experts and political parties advocate the abolition of exemption requirements for compulsory quarantine
There are voices in the society, demanding that the crew members be exempted from the arrangements to "enhance the spiciness".
In an interview with the media, Xu Shuchang, a government expert consultant and chair professor of the Department of Respiratory System at CUHK, suggested that the crew members should be arranged for a 7-day hotel quarantine, referring to the Delta variant virus incubation period of about 4 and a half days, and the 7-day quarantine period should be able to stop transmission.
The DAB also launched a territory-wide signature operation earlier, requesting the government to review the mechanism, requiring all crew members arriving in Hong Kong from other places to undergo mandatory quarantine for at least 7 to 14 days and then undergo home medical surveillance.
In response to the government's request for all crew members who have stayed in a hotel in Frankfurt, Germany, 130 crew members of Cathay Pacific are in isolation.
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The mainland requires freighter pilots to be quarantined for 14 days and health monitoring for 7 days
The Hong Kong government has adopted various measures to clear customs with the mainland as soon as possible.
In terms of quarantine arrangements for cargo aircraft pilots, there is still a distance from the mainland.
According to the "Technical Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Epidemics in Transport Airlines and Airports (Eighth Edition)" issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, freighter crew members who have spent the night in other places must be quarantined for 14 days and monitored for health for 7 days after entering the Mainland. If the test is negative, the flight can be continued.
Even if there are no overnight crew members, they must be quarantined for 14 days after returning to the mainland. Only the crew members who have not landed can not be quarantined and only need health monitoring for 7 to 4 days.
However, the "Guide" requires crew members to sign a letter of commitment, promising to abide by the guidelines in the field and after returning to the mainland, and requires airlines to assess the risk of crew exposure after each mission. If necessary, the crew can be required to quarantine for 14 days. .
Air freight logistics industry: the pilot quarantine time lengthens the air freight price by at least 20%
Xu Hanen, the vice president of the Hong Kong Institute of Transport and Logistics, which is engaged in the air transport and logistics industry, pointed out that it is the peak season for the shipping industry, shipping prices are high, and global supply chains are experiencing problems. It will take several days for some goods to be shipped out. Bit".
He pointed out that pilots already have working hours restrictions. If compulsory quarantine is required, it will have a considerable impact on the shipping industry in the short term. "Basically, countries that need to be isolated will have an impact as soon as the quarantine time is extended." The air freight price will increase by at least two. It is close to the "golden age" more than a year ago.
Even if airlines may try to hire additional pilots, some pilots have not been on duty for one or two years after the outbreak of the epidemic. Airlines need time to recruit and train. Therefore, it is difficult to supplement the manpower demand.
Re-hiring unemployed pilots is difficult to respond
Yuan Meiyi, president of the Hong Kong Logistics Association, also pointed out that she had contacted airlines earlier and understood that quarantine of cargo aircraft crews is difficult to achieve, and it will also increase logistics costs.
She said that some airlines had laid off staff during the epidemic, and it would take time to hire pilots again.
She believes that while maintaining the nature of voluntary quarantine, the pilot can be further isolated at home for 7 days, and the crew must maintain self-discipline.
When out of town, airlines can also provide hotel room cards that can only enter and exit once to avoid compulsory quarantine.
Lu Weiguo, a member of the AA board of directors and an engineering member of the Legislative Council, said that when he recently participated in a meeting of the AA, he did not discuss the issue of exemption from quarantine.
He believes that if the Hong Kong government can tighten the quarantine measures for the crew members arriving in Frankfurt, Germany, it will be beneficial to the crew members, their families, and related communities to improve their health protection. I believe that the relevant crew members and agencies will understand And take corresponding arrangements to deal with them properly.
Lu also believes that it is necessary to review how the crew members should protect themselves from infection when they are in foreign airports, hotels or their facilities.
Customs clearance | Lam Cheng: The pilot’s diagnosis has no impact on customs clearance with mainland businessmen Diagnosed Xu Shuchang urged compulsory quarantine for seven days of new crown pneumonia | Cathay Pacific 3 pilots returned to Hong Kong to confirm the diagnosis and change to local hotels, did not stay in Frankfurt Pneumonia | Cathay Pacific tightens quarantine guidelines. He Boliang approves the biggest obstacle to customs clearance. Cathay Pacific's new guidelines: Crew members should avoid leaving home at the airport for the first 3 days when they return to Hong Kong. New crown pneumonia is prohibited.
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