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Cathay Pacific cuts long-haul cargo flights as quarantine rules tighten

Cathay Pacific has suspended all long-haul cargo flights for a week after Hong Kong tightened quarantine restrictions on cabin crew, prompting the carrier to warn of “serious disruptions” to supply. supply the city’s essential goods.

“Cathay Pacific Cargo will suspend all long-haul passenger and cargo-only flights effective immediately for a period of seven days, through January 6,” the airline said on Friday.

The decision will affect transpacific, European, Pacific Southwest, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates freighter flights, the airline added.

Cathay also said it would make “significant changes” and cancel more passenger flights in the first quarter of next year as it operates Schedule “skeleton” in January.

The move comes just days after Hong Kong authorities extended quarantine restrictions on cabin crew because of the emergence of the Omicron variant. The city has had some of the strictest pandemic control in the world under the Strategy “zero-Covid”,

Cargo crew who were previously exempt from quarantine upon arrival are now required to undergo seven days of mandatory quarantine in hotels, according to an internal memo sent to Cathay pilots on Thursday that was published by the Financial Times. .

The local health authority had previously announced that the crew would be quarantined for three days. The Hong Kong Department of Housing and Transport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cathay pilots were demoralized due to the city’s tough restrictions, with some describing the city’s Covid control measures as “permanent isolation“.

Andy Wong, Cathay’s general manager of corporate affairs, said travel and operational restrictions continue to “limit our ability to operate scheduled flights” and the airline is consolidating passenger and cargo flight schedules for early 2022.

Cathay’s figures for November, prior to the arrival of Omicron, show a 24% drop in total cargo shipments from pre-pandemic levels. The airline’s passenger capacity has fallen by more than 90% year-on-year in 2019.

“We are wary that any further tightening of the cabin crew quarantine arrangements will lead to a reduction in flight frequency to protect the health of crew members and safety,” said Mr Wong. common to our activities.

Such action would cause significant supply chain disruptions in the short term, jeopardizing the adequate supply of essential items in an already scarce supply chain environment, he added. , affecting the livelihoods of thousands of people in Hong Kong and weakening Hong Kong International Airport as a leading cargo hub. ”

Aviation analysts have raised concerns that tough Covid-19 rules in Hong Kong risk undermining the city’s status as a global flight and logistics hub.

Last month, the US-based freight group FedEx has shipped closing the crew base in Hong Kong and moving staff overseas. Airlines including Finnair, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines have been banned from flying some routes into the city after cases were recorded on individuals who had reached the carriers.

Hong Kong has recorded 81 cases of Omicron as of Thursday, and health experts warn the territory could be on the verge of an outbreak after at least two cases of community transmission were detected. The incident is believed to have involved a Cathay crew member.

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