Domestic flights have started to resume in some countries, and following Singapore’s announcement that Changi would reopen to transit passengers from 2 June, Hong Kong has now decided to lift its ban on transit passengers from 1 June.
Transit services at Hong Kong International Airport will “gradually resume” from June 1, city leader Carrie Lam confirmed. “The epidemic has eased,” she said. “We are resuming daily activities in society and economy step by step.”
Hong Kong implemented a ban on all visitors to the city, and passengers in transit through Hong Kong International Airport, on March 24.
Air transit/transfer services at Hong Kong International Airport will be resumed in phases starting from 1 June 2020, the airport’s operating authority confirmed.
However, the no-entry restriction for non-Hong Kong residents from overseas remains unchanged, according to Hong Kong SAR Government. All non-Hong Kong residents coming from overseas countries/regions by plane will be denied entry to Hong Kong.
In addition, it remains compulsory for all departing passengers to wear a face mask, while arriving passengers are also recommended to wear face masks.
Cathay Pacific, which has been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, has since April operated to “a skeleton schedule” of barely a dozen destinations served by just a handful of flights per week.
However, the airline plans aims to put a little flesh onto those bones with a slow but steady rebuild of its international network beginning June 21.
This will see Sydney, London Heathrow, Los Angeles and Vancouver boosted to five flights per week. Melbourne is set for three flights per week, along with Amsterdam, Frankfurt, San Francisco, Mumbai and Delhi.
Cathay will also mount daily flights to Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Taipei, Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City, while its Asia-focussed Cathay Dragon arm is set for a daily service to Beijing, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur.
