Cathay Pacific not "Livin' La Visa Loca"
From "The South China Morning Post":
"Cathay Pacific was fined $123,500 yesterday for allowing 19 Russian crew members accompanying pop star Ricky Martin on his world concert tour last October to enter Hong Kong without valid visas.
The airline was the ground handling agent of London-registered Heavy Lift Cargo Airlines, owner of a private plane that carried the superstar and the crew members from Korea on October 8 last year.
Planes are required to use a Hong Kong-registered airline as agent if the owner of the aircraft is not registered in Hong Kong.
An Immigration Department spokesman said the 19 crew members had no valid visas when they reached the airport checkpoint in Hong Kong. The Russians told immigration officers they were ignorant of Hong Kong visa requirements.
The officers then issued them temporary visas for three days.
The Immigration spokesman said airlines and agents were responsible for ensuring passengers entering the territory had a valid travel document or visa.
A spokeswoman for Cathay Pacific said the company would enhance communication with Heavy Lift to avoid similar incidents in future.
Asked whether Heavy Lift would be forced to shoulder the fine, she said that the two companies would negotiate over the matter.
Cathay Pacific pleaded guilty to 19 summonses in Kwun Tong Court that the company, as an agent for the plane, allowed the Russians to fly without valid travel documents.
Magistrate Wong Wai-kuen fined the airline $6,500 for each summons."