LHR-HKG (with pax) expected to resume this week
 

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...gtype=homepage

There is no official announcement yet. But the SCMP is usually well informed.

At the moment, the first flight in BA's schedule, with passengers, is Monday 17 May., BA31, which looks like a 77W.

Hopefully they'll allow crew layovers too which would put a stop to the current 28+ hour duty.

I might be wrong but I believe crew layovers are allowed, but they have to be in specific hotels and crew are subject to on arrival testing. If they test positive then the crew must go to hospital and isolation and can’t leave Hong Kong until recovered. This is a risk BA doesn’t want to take.

I’m booked on BA31 in October, at the moment it’s a 777W with only 5 seats booked in J (I managed to get my OH and I in our second choice of seats). Whether or not it actually happens is anyone’s guess

... more a risk the crew don’t want to take!

Can't the flight just continue to the nearest airport outside Hong Kong/PRC (like Gaoxiong or Ha Noi) where the crew stays?

I think this method actually works but requires the fifth freedom flight rights and a (sort of) base? please correct me if I am wrong.

Beforehand, IIRC KLM flights to HKG (and possibly other East Asia destinations) did add a stop in BKK (AMS-BKK-HKG-BKK-AMS) and as told by others, it is to change crews and allow crews to stay over in BKK, making the journey BKK-HKG-BKK a turnaround operation.

I see that the HKG departure has reverted to the evening (23:10 vs 16:00). Does that mean crew are laying over in HK now?

It seems very messy.
BA31 only flies (with pax) on Friday and Sunday during May, (1840-1340) but BA32 flies daily (2310-0450). Maybe the incoming ac BA31 does not carry pax except on Fridays and Sundays.

Then in June all are daily

F is again available on these flights. This would suggest that the crew is laying over in a dedicated quarantined hotel near airport.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/bu...-kong-service/

BA to resume HKG this week.

Does anyone know whether the rule changes will also permit tourists to do a direct transit (different tickets and carriers, but no checked luggage)?

well the timatic entry was updated today and still says this so it still doesn't seem possible to transit on separate tickets.

tbh i wouldn't plan to transit HKG on separate tickets or expect to enter without extended enforced quarantine until 2022.

Will this impact BA's schedule, or even make BA more flexible about rebooking for pax who can't legally travel (even if flights are 'operating').
I was kinda banking on HKG being cancelled to push my 50% flights further into 2022 given the direction things are heading... (limited or zero avios availabilty in F for next 12 months so need some generosity from BA)

I think you better hope your flight is cancelled. If it isn't I would expect any change to be treated as a voluntary change.