Here is the full article in the South Commie Morning Post, for those who doesn’t have the luxury of a subscription exclusive | Hong Kong fourth wave: airline sector braces for impact as city mulls 14-day quarantine for aircrew amid coronavirus pandemic
- The move, which one source worries could ‘kill’ the industry, would end a long-standing exemption enjoyed by airlines
- Cathay Pacific said to be pushing back hard on proposal, though it is unclear to what effect
Hong Kong is mulling plans to order all arriving aircrews to quarantine in a hotel for two weeks in response to a recent
coronavirus outbreak, a move that would end a long-standing exemption and present the embattled aviation industry with a fresh crisis.According to three sources familiar with the plan, the government is considering ordering pilots and cabin crew,
including local staff, to quarantine in a hotel if they stay in Hong Kong for more than two hours.
Another source said the plan could “kill” the airline industry if it proceeds, while a separate insider said aircrew would also be subject to repeated testing.
Sources fear forcing airline crew members to quarantine will spell the death of the industry.
Cathay Pacific Airways
is understood to be pushing back hard against the proposal, but it is unclear what success it would have.Aircrew are at greater risk of carrying the virus, despite wearing protective equipment, given they are interacting with passengers and flying abroad, yet they have been exempted from quarantine orders that apply to the general public.
All foreign aircrew are currently required to take designated transport to hotels, isolate in their rooms throughout their stay and pass a Covid-19 test before flying in. Local aircrew are tested on arrival in Hong Kong and have to stay in a hotel for 24 hours while waiting for their results.