When the air travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong was suspended, Singaporeans were displeased, to say the least.
No one knows when we’ll be able to jet off to Hong Kong for a holiday, but now, one thing’s for sure: it won’t be in the next two weeks.
3 Passengers from SQ882 Caused SIA Flights from S’pore to be Banned from Hong Kong for 2 Wks
Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights departing from Singapore have been barred from landing in Hong Kong for two weeks.
You’d probably think Hong Kong introduced the ban because of a rise in COVID-19 cases in Singapore, but nope.
Instead, it was the non-compliance of three passengers on an SIA flight to Hong Kong recently that led to the ban.
On Wednesday (31 March), SIA flight SQ882 from Singapore landed in Hong Kong. One transit passenger – a 28-year-old woman who arrived in Hong Kong from Indonesia – tested positive for COVID-19 on the same day.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the woman had tested negative pre-departure. She was asymptomatic.
The Hong Kong government said the woman’s infection was detected through a sample collected at the airport.
However, she wasn’t the main reason for the ban.
Three other passengers on the same flight were found to have breached rules for entry to Hong Kong. They were also transit passengers.
All three had taken COVID-19 pre-departure tests at clinics in their places of origin that did not meet Hong Kong’s requirements.
By doing so, they failed to comply with Hong Kong’s COVID-19 regulations for inbound travellers.
While the passengers were at fault, it’s the airline that’ll have to pay the price.
Hong Kong Has Banned Other Airlines 23 Times Since Last Aug
Unbeknownst to many, Hong Kong’s government has regulations that enable it to suspend airlines for the non-compliance of its passengers.
In fact, it has barred airlines from landing in Hong Kong for two weeks a total of 23 times since August last year.
These airlines include Cathay Pacific – Hong Kong’s own flag carrier – Air India, British Airways, as well as other European carriers.
Now, SIA has been added to that list.
The daily SIA passenger flight from Singapore to Hong Kong will be barred from entering Hong Kong from 3 to 16 April.
SIA to Strengthen Checks at Point of Embarkation
A spokesman for SIA said the airline has taken immediate steps to strengthen checks at the point of embarkation.
This will ensure that its passengers are in compliance with Hong Kong’s COVID-19 regulations.
SIA apologised to its affected customers and said it is reaching out to them to offer assistance.
The good news is that if an air travel bubble were to be launched, it wouldn’t be affected by the ban.
This is because the current flight from Singapore to Hong Kong – the one that has been banned – mainly caters to transit passengers.
So, any flights under a travel bubble would be separate from this and should not be affected by the ban.
Featured Image: SpaceKris / Shutterstock.com
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