Flight from London first to arrive as Covid ban lifts

About a dozen passenger flights coming from the nine previously banned countries will land in Hong Kong on Friday following the lifting of the restriction, according to the Airport Authority.

Ten direct flights will arrive from London, Manila, Cebu, Kathmandu and Sydney, with those departing from the Philippine capital accounting for 40 percent of the total.

Among the 10 flights, the first to arrive will be Cathay Pacific’s CX2252 from Heathrow, which is expected to land at the airport at 2.40am.

There are also two indirect flights from Canada and Australia.

An inbound flight ban was imposed in January to fend off imported Covid-19 cases, but the government announced earlier this month that the restriction will be scrapped on April 1, with the quarantine period for returning, vaccinated Hong Kong residents reduced to a minimum of seven days.

Officials also said flights from specific airlines will only be suspended for a week, instead of two, when three or more passengers on a flight test positive for Covid on arrival or when an airline is found to have breached other rules.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said according to the information given to her earlier, it’s expected that around 2,000 passengers, excluding transit travellers, will arrive in the territory from the countries.

She said an inter-departmental meeting was held on Wednesday to make sure the test-and-hold arrangement after arrival and the transportation to designated quarantine hotels will run smoothly.

“We have made full preparations for them and I hope that they will have a pleasant trip back to Hong Kong,” she said.

Lam also said anti-epidemic packs, which includes rapid antigen test kits, will also be distributed to the arrivals at hotels so that people can test themselves on day six and day seven of their quarantine.