Flights, rooms remain tight ahead of flight ban lift

Cathay Pacific said on Tuesday that it will only be able to operate a very limited number of passenger flights to Hong Kong when the travel ban is lifted from April 1.

In light of the Omicron outbreaks, authorities had since January suspended flights from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and France.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Monday that the entry restrictions would be lifted, but did not give much detail.

Cathay has since updated its online flight schedule to include routes from Britain, Australia, the US and the Philippines.

Most routes have only two flights listed for the coming month, while some, including one between London and Hong Kong, just have one.

The flagship carrier said it is working hard to add more flights, but the government’s flight-suspension mechanism makes it difficult, as authorities can stop an airline from flying to Hong Kong for two weeks if several passengers on the same flight test positive for Covid.

It said scheduling a limited number of flights is to avoid any unplanned disruption to people’s quarantine hotel bookings or other travel arrangements.

Even after the flight bans are lifted in April, returning Hong Kong residents must be vaccinated and are required to undergo a seven-day quarantine in designated hotels.

According to the government’s website, most of the current 25 hotels have very limited available rooms in the next month or so.

Eighteen additional hotels being designated as quarantine facilities will not begin accepting reservations until May or June.