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Hong Kong has banned three international airlines from flying specific routes into the city for two weeks, under a new law aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19, the city government said on Friday.
All three airlines’ flights were found to have one or more Covid-positive passengers on board, according to the statement.
Are:
- An inbound flight from Amsterdam operated by KLM Dutch Royal Airlines on November 27.
- A flight from Kathmandu to Hong Kong operated by Nepal Airlines on December 1.
- Two flights to Hong Kong from Dubai via Bangkok operated by Emirates on December 2.
Under strict new rules, the Hong Kong government prohibits airlines from flying those routes to the city for 14 days.
What caused the bans?
Passengers test positive: The ban can be enforced when an airline carries more than five Covid-19 positive passengers. The Nepal Airlines flight on December 1 had six passengers testing positive on arrival.
Consecutive flights: The ban also applies to an airline operating two consecutive flights to Hong Kong carrying Covid-19 positive passengers. This was the case for Emirates flights, which carried four cases to Hong Kong on December 2 and three cases on December 3.
Breach of measures: The KLM-operated flight from Amsterdam to Hong Kong on November 27 had only one Covid-19 positive passenger, but it was also added to the 14-day blacklist. The Hong Kong government said it reserves the right to block the route for 14 days if a passenger aboard a plane carrying Covid-19 fails to comply with pandemic control measures.
Nepal Airlines’ KLM Amsterdam-Hong Kong and Kathmandu route will be out of service until December 17, while Emirates will not be able to fly to Hong Kong from Dubai or Bangkok until December 18, the Hong Kong government said.
CNN has reached out to Emirates, KLM and Nepal Airlines for comment.
