Hong Kong: International Airport Open for transit passengers

Towards the end of the weekly press briefing, Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam announced that Hong Kong International Airport is open to transit passengers from 1 June, although Hong Kong’s borders are still closed to international travellers.

Lam describes this as part of:

“A gradual approach to resume normal activities in the community.”

Here is the announcement from Carrie Lam. The relaxation around airport transit comes about 1 minute in:

Background

Hong Kong’s borders have effectively been closed for visitors and transit passengers since 24 March. At the moment if you arrive at the airport from overseas, you are subject to COVID-19 testing, before heading home for 14 days worth of mandatory quarantine.

What happens to you after 1 June

Well, we don’t exactly know. It is likely you will be restricted to certain lounges or areas of the airport. You may be required to have a COVID-19 test. Details are yet to be announced.

Cathay Pacific – to resume more flights from 21 June

Cathay Pacific will be sighing with relief. The pandemic and the ban on transit passengers has basically kneecapped their activities. They have been running an extremely pared back schedule to about a dozen countries since March.

They now plan to steadily add flights and destinations to their schedule, which will see them flying to the following destinations around 5 times per week:

• London Heathrow
• Los Angeles
• Sydney
• Vancover

Daily flights to the following destinations will also be resumed to:

• Bangkok
• Ho Chi Minh City
• Jakarta
• Manila
• Osaka
• Seol
• Singapore
• Taipei
• Tokyo

Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai will also be serviced by their subsidiary, Cathay Dragon.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

Let’s not speak too soon, but I think like the bird calls of spring, I hear the first stirrings of a return to normal. The ‘new’ normal though it might be.

Having said that, with the announcement of oppressive ‘terrorism’ laws to be fast tracked by the Chinese mainland government, Hong Kong is not high on my list as either a destination or transit point.