For well over two years now, Hong Kong has imposed among the strictest travel measures of anywhere in the world. Not only has Hong Kong had a mandatory quarantine for travelers (in some cases of up to 21 days), but there has also been a bizarre system of punishing airlines that import coronavirus cases. Well, that ridiculous system is finally coming to an end… for now.
In this post:
Hong Kong’s system for punishing airlines
Since the start of the pandemic, Hong Kong has had a policy intended to punish airlines that bring passengers to Hong Kong with coronavirus. The way this works, if a flight brings over five people to Hong Kong who end up testing positive for coronavirus, the airline will be suspended from operating that route for a period of time.
Initially the bans lasted for two weeks, while more recently the bans have lasted for one week. This year alone, over 100 bans have been issued.
This policy is so beyond ridiculous and irrational:
- Airlines simply enforce the testing requirements of the origin and destination, so it’s not like airlines are at fault for the number of people on a flight who arrive with coronavirus
- Hong Kong’s policies (including this one) have created so much uncertainty for airlines that many airlines have just suspended service to Hong Kong, given the complexity involved
- This policy created endless headaches for travelers, who may have been booked on a flight, but then had it canceled due to these bans, forcing them to scramble last minute to rearrange flights, rebook their quarantine accommodation, etc.
The flight ban policy is finally being suspended
The government of Hong Kong has finally suspended its flight ban policy effective immediately. As the government described the decision:
“The social cost caused by the ‘circuit breaker mechanism’ is quite large, and it also brings unnecessary trouble to these international students and their families.”
For now this is just being labeled as a suspension rather than a permanent policy change, so we’ll see if it maybe returns in the future.
It’s of course great to see this, as it’s a step in the right direction. There was simply no basis for this policy, and it was entirely irrational. For that matter, several policies are slowly moving in the right direction, like Hong Kong having ended its transit ban, Hong Kong having ended its visitor ban, etc.
However, even with these changes, Hong Kong has a long way to go before there’s any sort of a travel recovery to a pre-pandemic norm.
Hong Kong continues to require a minimum of a one week quarantine in a facility in order to enter, and that’s going to be a deal-breaker for a vast majority of travelers. While the government claims it wants to take the steps “necessary for social and economic recovery,” there’s only one way to do that, yet that doesn’t seem to be on the table.
Bottom line
Hong Kong has suspended its policy of banning airlines that import coronavirus cases. It’s good to see this change, as that was probably the single most baseless travel restriction in place in the entire world.
While Hong Kong is making all kinds of minor positive adjustments when it comes to travel, the one week quarantine for visitors is a deal-breaker. I love Hong Kong, and I sure hope that policy changes sooner rather than later.
What do you make of Hong Kong ending its flight ban policy?
And the phobics are the rest of the world... Aha, no hate speech
No need to go to HKG anymore,
They killed their own economy and I am not going to a Chinese city where I can get arrested and tried for absurd reasons.
These suspensions were designed to punish countries with fake COVID tests. Then Omicron came.
What khati mentions about there being a lot of non-pandemic reasons behind this policy is absolutely true. This means that flight prices to Hong Kong should drop significantly.
Does this mean that we can transit Hong Kong on Cathay?
Having just flown through HKG ( in transit) for BKK I can attest to the fact that it was ridiculous even with transiting- security was closed on arrival and we had to wait until they rocked up for work at 6am - the airport was virtually closed with nothing open and no more than a dozen people waiting for the connection flight - I counted over 40 CX aircraft just “wrapped up “
HongKong is dead thanks to the CCP they have killed off its statue as a financial hub and tourism centre with there mainland China laws no such thing as freedom of anything ? ever again why would anyone want to visit anymore locked behind the Great fire Wall of China
Another nail in the coffin for Hong Kong... the mainland party intended to ruin the city , to make way for other Chinese cities to be more prominent.
At the 25 year mark, the PRC is tightening the screws on Hong Kong....
One of the world's great cities is being reduced to mush, they want total control of the people and they are winning...
Everyone I know in HK is either leaving or has already left. It's a shell of its former self, and before long it will be just another dire, polluted Chinese city.
It takes 3-4 days to visit majority of tourist attractions in HK, yet there's a week quarantine. It doesn't make much sense to visitors, does it?
Just go to Singapore. HKG is trash and people are escaping. The people in Singapore take pity on HKG
Does Cathay Pacific require a negative covid test to board a flight even if you are connecting via HKG?
Not anymore. This requirement was taken away a month ago.
It was a requirement for us to have been fully Vaxed before being accepted for travel on CX from Sydney in case we weren’t able to transit ? ( very confusing ) flight delayed/ cancelled
I wouldn’t do that again as it was a little stressful and inconvenient- at least biz class was empty on both flights
Greetings from China Mainland. Hope one day I can travel freely overseas.
Hong Kong is d̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ dead.
Sadly, HK will never be what it was - a process that started with the foolish surrender of the colony to the communists in 1997.
probably correct... The British should have given back the New Territories and kept the rest....
Oh, joy! Now we get to fly to a second tier Chinese city that was formerly a major world city. Meanwhile, Singapore is laughing its arse off all the way to the bank....
Not necessarily. As a Singaporean, I still prefer Hong Kong and I beleive HK still has a competitive edge over us due to China. We still see HK as a strong competitor as it will bounce back quick and thrive.
Move to HK then. Don't let the door hit you on the way out,
Hahahahahaha!!!! Well said
M0J0
Not with the national security law in place it won't. No way I'd risk living in HKz falling foul of some bureaucrat, and being hauled off to the mainland for my life sentence.
Always so happy to see China screwing itself, long may it continue.
They look stupid having all these petty tyrant things still happening.
Yeah, it's not like HKers haven't got COVID already - Beyond pleasing Winnie the Xi, not seeing how this is a rational policy. (If you can still argue some for mainland Chna.
HKG's status as a global air hub and connecting point is unlikely to ever return to 2018 levels. HKG will remain a hub of finance, but not to the degree it was before.
Not if China has its way. They want that all to go to Shanghai. The pressure on HK's financial and business sector will continue.
I think there are a lot of non pandemic reasons that travel won't be returning to 2018 and prior levels in HK!
Give it a year and HK will be booming more than ever at least with Asian tourists who have the big bucks to spend.
More than ever? No. Chinese tourists that used to be a HK staple have tailed off heavily. I have retail partners in HK who used to do huge Chinese tourist business and that business was down 60-70% even before COVID.
I don't think HK will be dead for tourism, but acting like it will bounce back as strong as ever is just silly. CCP policy and action as much as COVID
J Lee is working for the man. These are not the words of a Singaporean.
J. Lee is right about thing: even dead bodies have to bounce once when they hit the floor! LOL
And a Singaporean praising HK?? That's as real as a South Korean praising North Korea.
No doubt covid19 have changed view of whole world looking at Travels. But we have to move on. It's the only way we can win over.