In a welcome relief for the airlines, Hong Kong authorities have finally agreed to relax the quarantine rules for the local airline crew starting September 10, 2022. As per the statement from the government, local aircrew personnel can return home after a negative PCR test is conducted at the airport.
Previously, airline crew had to undergo a three-day quarantine at the hotel before returning home, due to which major operators like Virgin Atlantic and British Airways had suspended all operations. Tired of this policy, a coalition of airlines had warned the Hong Kong authorities to drop the quarantine measures for crew and passengers or airlines could skip Hong Kong for the next year.
However, the new rule will enable airlines to enhance their suspended operations to and from Hong Kong. Travellers leaving Hong Kong will no longer be required to go through temperature screening, the government said in a separate statement.
Until now, about 48 airlines had stopped their Hong Kong operations because of their strict COVID-19 restrictions. Virgin Atlantic had postponed its London-Hong Kong flights to March 2023. The operators will now change their flight plans given the positive steps taken by the government in relaxing the pandemic norms.