Cathay Pacific to drastically cut flights as aircrew are forced into quarantine

Cathay Pacific was said to have severely cut its already slim flight schedules from next weekend, following the Hong Kong government’s decision to impose mandatory quarantine requirements on aircrews returning from overseas destinations.

Flights will start to be reduced from February 20 through to the end of the month but are likely to be extended further while these Covid rules remain in place.

According to reports, the carrier will completely cut long-haul flights to and from Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Auckland, Frankfurt, Vancouver, San Francisco and Amsterdam.

While the long-haul flights that survive the axe include Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, London and Amsterdam.

Meanwhile, regional routes were also affected, flights to and from Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh and Seoul were cut, considering a general shortage of manpower due to the new government policy.

Flights in the region to still get the green light are Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Jakarta, Surabaya, Osaka, Tokyo, Manila, Singapore and Bangkok.

The government previously announced that Hong Kong-based aircrew returning to the city from overseas layovers will be required to undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine plus seven days of home quarantine before operating another flight.

Cathay Pacific had since warned the government in a statement that “The new measure will have a significant impact on our ability to service our passenger and cargo markets”.