The Omicron, a variant strain of the new crown virus, is out of control globally. Two flight attendants of Cathay Pacific violated the exemption guidelines, resulting in a sharp increase in the risk of outbreaks in the local community. It is reported that the authorities have resorted to severe calls to Hong Kong airlines to remove all non-China flight crews Exempt from quarantine measures, the crew must be forced to quarantine the hotel for up to 14 days upon returning to Hong Kong.
Cathay Pacific bears the brunt of the situation. The crew members of the existing "passenger plane going, cargo plane returning" and short-term return flights cannot go home for quarantine and surveillance when they get off the plane.
The new arrangement will take effect late at night on Wednesday (29th). In disguise, all non-China flights of Cathay Pacific need to be operated in a closed-loop manner, disrupting the deployment. As there are not enough hotel rooms for crew quarantine, all planned flights will not be able to operate as scheduled. Cathay Pacific said it will contact affected customers to switch flights or refund the full amount.
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Cathay Pacific cargo aircraft crew members can still enjoy hotel quarantine exemptions, but passenger aircraft crew members cannot.
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Report effective at midnight on Wednesday
According to a report from the South China Morning Post late on Wednesday night, the government has notified airlines of the latest changes to cancel the quarantine exemption measures for all non-China passenger aircraft crews, which will take effect from midnight on Wednesday.
In the past, the Transport and Housing Bureau allowed cargo aircraft crews with lower risks, usually only pilots, to return to Hong Kong without hotel quarantine. The company arranges point-to-point transportation to send them home, but they must be isolated at home for the first three days.
As for passenger planes, some use closed-loop management. The crew members work for three consecutive weeks. After completion, they will be quarantined in Hong Kong hotels on the 14th. They can only return to the community if they test negative. This is mainly used for long-distance flights, but it is not welcomed by employees.
If the passenger plane is not managed in a closed-loop manner, the crew will need to enter the hotel for quarantine when returning to Hong Kong. Therefore, Cathay Pacific has two other operating modes to avoid compulsory quarantine as soon as employees land.
One is the passenger plane "passenger plane going, cargo plane returning". In principle, all passengers boarding from Hong Kong have tested negative and the risk is low. The passenger plane will return to Hong Kong as soon as possible after arrival, and only carry cargo but not passengers. Therefore, the original crew members of the passenger plane arrived in Hong Kong. Afterwards, they can enjoy exemption from quarantine for cargo aircraft crews, even on long-distance flights; short-haul routes in Asia allow crew members to return to Hong Kong only if they do not land after arriving in other places.
Cathay Pacific reported in November that after a cargo pilot had violated regulations in Germany and returned to Hong Kong for a diagnosis, it restricted the exempt crew from quarantine at home for the first three days, and could only go out for up to two hours a day to buy food or conduct tests.
However, as the two confirmed "passenger flights and cargo planes returning" with Omicron were found to be empty, they were exposed to illegal use of public transportation, gatherings with friends, and patrons of restaurants in the first three days. Stay in a quarantine hotel every day. If the test is negative, you can go home and continue to monitor.
▼12,.28 Gate Jiayue Peninsula 1 closed area inspection▼
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▼12.27 West Ring Shitangzui Nanli No. 1 closed area inspection▼
Cathay Pacific: Will not be able to operate all scheduled flights as scheduled
According to information from Cathay Pacific employees, the government has notified the airlines that it will only retain the new arrangements for cargo aircraft crews. Passenger aircraft crews who have left or arrived in Hong Kong are no longer exempted. They must stay in a quarantine shop for up to 14 days before returning to the community. Therefore, "Passenger plane going, cargo plane returning" and personnel returning to the plane without leaving the plane are no different from the closed-loop management of crew arrangements.
This will lead to a significant increase in demand for quarantine hotels.
According to a report from the South China Morning Post, Cathay Pacific has already provided 150 rooms for cargo aircraft crew quarantine and is negotiating to increase rooms to meet the new regulations, but it will inevitably need to cancel many flights in the next few days.
A Cathay Pacific spokesperson said that due to the impact of the latest crew quarantine restrictions, all scheduled flights will not be able to operate as scheduled.
The spokesperson said that Cathay Pacific is consolidating passenger flights in January 2022 and will contact affected customers as soon as possible, and will try their best to arrange for them to take other flights. Customers can also choose to refund.
Cathay Pacific sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience caused to customers and thanks for understanding.
Compulsory testing｜You Ying, a male employee of Xian Ciyun Primary School, returned to Hong Kong to confirm his residence and 5 schools were listed on the list Omicron｜Five people including Liu Mingming, the highest risk area in Kazakhstan, were diagnosed with the new crown vaccine after a karate match｜A middle-aged man had been hit within 14 days before his death in the winter solstice The vaccine is initially involved in heart disease