Jebby_ca

Jebby_ca

And now this:

24left

August 13 2016

AC 8 looks to be departing, at least on the HKIA Departures board





AC 16

AC0016/13AUG EQU ACA77LB01
CTY TML ARR DEP GRND AIR CABINS J O Y
HKG - 1510 - 15.05
YYZ 1815 TOTAL TIME HKGYYZ 15.05

RMKS/RTG BACK TO HKG DUE FIN701 SATCOM ISSUE
HKG 1735 02:25L YYZ 2033 02:18L 77L MTF AD EA

DEP TML 1 GATE --/69
ARR TML T1 GATE --/-----


AC shows "delayed due to maintenance"





And AC 2008

Delayed due to catering issues

Jebby_ca

24left

Yup, she's over Taiwan now.

Reports are a bit conflicting, but some say counters were closed at 16:30 local based on a HKIA media release.

Not including any pax who weren't already at the airport, if those who were not already checked in and through security before HKIA shut check-in counters, then they would have had the battle this as well.

(tweet link below)

skybluesea

delete

StuckInYYZ

Looking at a live feed right now. I think the crowds have thinned a bit, but still lots of people there for an airport that was "shut down"... Would hate to see what the place looked like with all the protesters. I'm curious how AC would plan to get people out of there. From the news, they are saying that Wednesday is not going to be any better.

Resurrection

I'm sure the last thing many Canadians would want to do right now is set foot in Mainland China.

s0ssos

Yes, what if they don't want to go to China?

Plus, how do you know they are Canadian? They are taking a flight to Canada but last I knew that doesn't make you Canadian, nor give you the same visa requirements of Canadians. It is just silly to think just because you go somewhere nearby means you are fine. Because that nearby happens to be ... China? And Macau and Hong Kong are not same for visa requirements. For example, if you were mainland Chinese you cannot just go to Macau even if you were in Hong Kong.

24left

So this presents a challenge or potential problem for AC

Assume AC 15 or 7 are on their way to HKG. Airport is then closed. Although most/many inbound flights have been able to land, a number have had to divert or return to their origins.

Can AC really make a decision to land in China when some of the pax onboard may not have visas or even be able to enter China?

We know flight plans include primary and secondary diversion airports. Do we think AC now has to make a few more arrangements. e.g. land in TPE or Japan (as AC has no staff in SIN) - depending on how far out the aircraft is?

Or, do they land in HKG and get stuck there?

These are just "what if" questions.

s0ssos

I don't think there are any "what if" questions like you say. The problem is this silliness of saying HK is China and yet it isn't. Airlines often divert to another airport in the same country. But they rarely divert to another country, unless for emergencies (like low fuel). There is no comparable place in Asia to Hong Kong, where rarely do people from Western nations need visas.
Now, if Taiwan were to pull a publicity stunt and waive visas for all those affected by this in Hong Kong ...
(Japan and Singapore are quite far from Hong Kong, not even close at all)

mapleg

There is always Macau. Visa rarely needed for Western nations. Having said that I don't think there is a lot of extra capacity there.

Stranger

CZAMFlyer

I'm not sure what "wrath" one might expect from China towards Air Canada. If the implication is that the Chinese government would somehow restrict AC's ability to serve PEK & PVG, the potential downside to such a move would be much larger for Chinese airlines than for Canadian ones. There are many more Chinese carriers serving Canada than vice-versa, and any tampering with established freedoms of the air on bellicose grounds could imperil Chinese airlines' ability to navigate to many of its non-Canadian destinations.

TemboOne

While ability to divert is always possible, returning to YVR (even for the YYZ flight) would be a matter of logistics as to where the flight is and the remaining fuel on board. Diversions to Japan or Taiwan would be easy if clearance was given. Many AC flights to HKG actually cross over Japan. It is unlikely that diversion to SIN would be within range although MNL might be in an emergency.

Surely this would be foolhardy in the extreme, even in the rather unlikelihood that China would give the necessary clearance. Passengers, crew and aircraft could be stranded indefinitely. For that matter, how many Canadians travelling on CANADIAN passports showing their place of birth as "Hong Kong" or "Victoria, Hong Kong" or even "Hong Kong BCC" would feel safe upon being landed unscheduled in mainland China
.
Now before someone gets upset let me reiterate here what many in-the-know actually do know. Depending on who speaks, Hong Kong is not actually a country but rather a former British Crown Colony - now an SAR territory of China. The capital city remains Victoria on Hong Kong Island!