Drastic change to Hong Kong
Jul 11, 20, 8:50 am
#1
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Drastic change to Hong Kong
Hong Kong is now requiring that all incoming crews be tested for covid upon arrival. With the threat that the whole crew be quarantined if one is found positive.
This brings the potential for serious operational disruptions.
QR is adjusting by completely changing the schedule of its QR817/818 (twice weekly), making it extremely difficult to connect from Europe.
This brings the potential for serious operational disruptions.
QR is adjusting by completely changing the schedule of its QR817/818 (twice weekly), making it extremely difficult to connect from Europe.
Last edited by brunos; Jul 11, 20 at 9:20 am
Jul 11, 20, 11:52 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: HKG, MAN
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Hong Kong is now requiring that all incoming crews be tested for covid upon arrival. With the threat that the whole crew be quarantined if one is found positive.
This brings the potential for serious operational disruptions.
QR is adjusting by completely changing the schedule of its QR817/818 (twice weekly), making it extremely difficult to connect from Europe.
This brings the potential for serious operational disruptions.
QR is adjusting by completely changing the schedule of its QR817/818 (twice weekly), making it extremely difficult to connect from Europe.
Hopefully that won't affect my flight booked for mid August to Hong Kong. Looking at Google Flights seems like they are still selling flights for everyday during August. Fingers crossed!
Jul 11, 20, 12:44 pm
#3
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I am in the same boat.
QR818 now operates only 3 weekly and new schedule departs DOH at 10:55am arrives HKG at 00:05.
I strongly doubt that HK will relax its policy within a month or two as there is an exploding new wave.
Maybe airlines will negotiate some other protocole with the HK government.
But HK has suffered from a lot of imported cases and would probably be happy to cap the number of longhaul flights into HK, like China or Australia is doing.
QR and EK are probably targeted as they have been importing a lot of cases from Pakistan, India, ...
QR818 now operates only 3 weekly and new schedule departs DOH at 10:55am arrives HKG at 00:05.
I strongly doubt that HK will relax its policy within a month or two as there is an exploding new wave.
Maybe airlines will negotiate some other protocole with the HK government.
But HK has suffered from a lot of imported cases and would probably be happy to cap the number of longhaul flights into HK, like China or Australia is doing.
QR and EK are probably targeted as they have been importing a lot of cases from Pakistan, India, ...
Jul 12, 20, 12:47 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Hong Kong
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I am in the same boat.
QR818 now operates only 3 weekly and new schedule departs DOH at 10:55am arrives HKG at 00:05.
I strongly doubt that HK will relax its policy within a month or two as there is an exploding new wave.
Maybe airlines will negotiate some other protocole with the HK government.
But HK has suffered from a lot of imported cases and would probably be happy to cap the number of longhaul flights into HK, like China or Australia is doing.
QR and EK are probably targeted as they have been importing a lot of cases from Pakistan, India, ...
QR818 now operates only 3 weekly and new schedule departs DOH at 10:55am arrives HKG at 00:05.
I strongly doubt that HK will relax its policy within a month or two as there is an exploding new wave.
Maybe airlines will negotiate some other protocole with the HK government.
But HK has suffered from a lot of imported cases and would probably be happy to cap the number of longhaul flights into HK, like China or Australia is doing.
QR and EK are probably targeted as they have been importing a lot of cases from Pakistan, India, ...
Jul 12, 20, 4:20 am
#5
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I am also worried about transmission from FAs bending over pax. I was recently on a BA flight from HKG. There were no local cases at the ime, but lots in UK. BA FAs were very lax about masks and distancing rules.
Not a good time to travel with the pandemic resurgence almost everywhere.
Jul 12, 20, 8:31 am
#7
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very different in the sense that HK has no restrictions on the number of flights.
But after an EK flight brought 30 pax that tested positive, following a day where they brought some 14, they started to talk tough to airlines. And after some pilot and sea men got sick after flying into HK, the government decided to rescind the test exemption for airline staff and sea men.
the government believes that these many exemptions led to the current third wave.
little to do with mainland China and its very tough rules for foreign airlines.
But after an EK flight brought 30 pax that tested positive, following a day where they brought some 14, they started to talk tough to airlines. And after some pilot and sea men got sick after flying into HK, the government decided to rescind the test exemption for airline staff and sea men.
the government believes that these many exemptions led to the current third wave.
little to do with mainland China and its very tough rules for foreign airlines.
Jul 12, 20, 8:43 am
#8
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AA and UA have cancelled their services to HKG. The problem is not testing, but rather the oddly invasive which local authorities have mandated. (a type of testing which has not remotely been suggested to be more accurate than less invasive means).
Jul 12, 20, 10:31 am
#9
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I have no idea what you mean by a more invasive testing technique. I have routinely done the "deep throat saliva test" in Hong Kong. You basically spit in a bottle. Much less invasive and painful than the nose one. Does not require a professional to take risk in sticking into your nose. Possibly less reliable, but you need an experienced professional to go deep in your nose.
http://videocwp.ha.org.hk/wmv/deep%2...a_Eng%20v1.mp4
Jul 12, 20, 11:43 am
#10
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To b efair, AA and UA were only planning to restart their operations and decided not to do it. This was clearly one factor. But the restart date had been announced long ago when there was hope that hte covid situation would improve and restrictions in HK and US would be lifted. Loads were miserable and that probably a major factor.
I have no idea what you mean by a more invasive testing technique. I have routinely done the "deep throat saliva test" in Hong Kong. You basically spit in a bottle. Much less invasive and painful than the nose one. Does not require a professional to take risk in sticking into your nose. Possibly less reliable, but you need an experienced professional to go deep in your nose.
http://videocwp.ha.org.hk/wmv/deep%2...a_Eng%20v1.mp4
I have no idea what you mean by a more invasive testing technique. I have routinely done the "deep throat saliva test" in Hong Kong. You basically spit in a bottle. Much less invasive and painful than the nose one. Does not require a professional to take risk in sticking into your nose. Possibly less reliable, but you need an experienced professional to go deep in your nose.
http://videocwp.ha.org.hk/wmv/deep%2...a_Eng%20v1.mp4
Jul 12, 20, 12:41 pm
#11
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Although the deep nasal approach is quite dated. Newer tests involve a simple self-administered swab of the nose which is conducted in the presence of a professional. The professional hands the patient the sealed tube, watches the seal broken, the test self-administered, the rube resealed and then handed back to the professional.
But I did not understand the point you made about airlines objecting to a more invasive technique being used. To the contrary it is not invasive at all and speeds the process. Singapore is considering adopting it.
But you still need the capacity (machines and specialist) to perform the test on the deep throat salive sample.
Jul 12, 20, 4:07 pm
#12
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Jul 15, 20, 7:20 am
#13
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EK has announced that it stops flying to Hong Kong for operational reasons (temporarily till 18 July)
No details have been provided but there can be many reasons:
- HK got very upset with EK when it allowed pax onboard that they should not have allowed.
- Flew large groups (30, 16,..) of infected pax from South Asia.
- Crew is now required to take a test on arrival
- EK must check that pax have a negative test if coming from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, South Africa, the Philippines or Indonesia .
AF, AC, AA and UA stopped flying too. KL added a stopover in BKK on return journey.
Will QR follow through?
No details have been provided but there can be many reasons:
- HK got very upset with EK when it allowed pax onboard that they should not have allowed.
- Flew large groups (30, 16,..) of infected pax from South Asia.
- Crew is now required to take a test on arrival
- EK must check that pax have a negative test if coming from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, South Africa, the Philippines or Indonesia .
AF, AC, AA and UA stopped flying too. KL added a stopover in BKK on return journey.
Will QR follow through?
