• Cathay Pacific Tile
    Cathay Pacific
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    CX/CPA
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Hong Kong International Airport
    Year Founded:
    1946
    Alliance:
    oneworld
    CEO:
    Ronald Lam
    Country:
    China (Special Administrative Region)
    Region:
    Asia

While most of the world has stepped boldly into the post-pandemic sunshine, China and Hong Kong are lingering in the shadows. Yesterday, Hong Kong authorities announced they would ease COVID restrictions for international travelers, but within hours there were calls for much more to be done.

In a statement to Bloomberg, Cathay Pacific said:

"We are asking the government to urgently provide a clear roadmap showing the complete removal of all COVOD-related restrictions for aircrew and passengers as oon a sit feasible to protect Hong Kong's international aviation hub status."

This seems too little to make much difference

Hong Kong's standing as Asia's financial center has taken a battering in the last few years. The protests in 2019 and, more recently, the severe COVID restrictions have brought the travel and airline industry to its knees, devastating Cathay Pacific, once one of Asia's most dominant airlines.

While quarantine is down from seven days to three, it's the quarantine itself that's causing concern among the business and travel communities. People arriving at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) will be required to spend three days in hotel quarantine, and if they don't test positive for COVID-19, that will be followed by four days of health monitoring. Monitoring, or surveillance as it's being labeled, can be done at home or in a hotel, with travelers allowed to leave the premises, providing they stay away from high-risk places.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1041 B-LXG
In June Cathay Pacific's passenger traffic was done by 95.2% compared to June 2019. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

In June, Cathay carried 150,000 passengers, an impressive 269% increase from June 2021 but just 4.8% of what it carried in June 2019. The airline, which has a fleet of 187 aircraft, operated a paltry 11% of its pre-pandemic capacity in June. According to ch-aviation.com, Cathay has 83 active passenger aircraft, including three Airbus A321neos, 24 A330-300s, 34 A350s, and 22 Boeing B777s.

In July, Cathay's chief customer and commercial officer, Ronald Lim, welcomed the Hong Kong SAR Government's decision to suspend the circuit-breaker mechanism. He said that would "help provide customers with far greater certainty and confidence when flying to and transiting via Hong Kong." While not wanting to rain on Lim's parade, the certainty that now awaits arrivals at HKG will not engender much confidence.

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It's better for residents but will business people or tourists want to come?

During the four days of monitoring, people won't be allowed to visit restaurants, bars, nightclubs, gyms, schools, and residential care homes. They will be allowed to go to offices and shopping malls and use public transport, provided they do a daily rapid-antigen test (RAT) and upload the result. The testing regime is demanding, and anyone who tests positive for COVID will go to a community isolation facility. The traveler will have to undergo five PCR and seven RAT tests between arrival and leaving the program on day ten.

Cathay A350-900
Most of the airline's A350s are flying, while the majority of its 777s remain grounded. Photo: Cathay Pacific

Government officials also unveiled a tiered health-code system, similar to what's used in mainland China. The system is a smartphone app with three colors denoting the holder's quarantine status. Arriving passengers will receive a yellow code, which they must keep until they exit the program. Those who test positive will receive a red code on the app, while a blue code will be shown in Hong Kong's LeaveHome Safe app once the quarantine or health monitoring period has ended.

For those who test positive, a new 3,000-unit isolation facility on the fabled Kai Tak Airport site has just opened. The government security minister commented on social media about the sea views from some of the rooms, so that's something to look forward to.

Would you visit Hong Kong under the current quarantine rules? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Bloomberg