Hong Kong Bans Transit Passengers From 150 Countries January 15 – February 14, 2022

More problems are looming for troubled Hong Kong bases airlines Cathay Pacific when the city’s government now bans transit passengers again from 150 countries for a month from January 15, 2022.

Cathay Pacific in November carried less than 3% of its pre-pandemic passenger numbers, and planes were less than one-third full (much-curtailed capacity).

You can access Hong Kong SAR’s page for travel to the city here.

Here’s an excerpt from Bloomberg:

Air passengers from so-called Group A, or designated high-risk countries, are set to be banned from transiting through Hong Kong International Airport, according to people familiar with the matter, another move in the financial hub’s aggressive effort to shield itself from omicron.

Airport officials recently briefed carriers about the plan, the people said, asking not to be identified because the details aren’t yet public. The suspension will start on Jan. 15 and run through Feb. 14, though the end date will be subject to review, one of the people said. Procedures for how the ban will operate are still to be laid out, another person said.

The suspension on passenger transfer services won’t apply to diplomats, government officials and athletes and staff participating in the Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to the people. The 2022 Winter Olympics start on Feb. 4.

Banned Countries:

Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, the United States of America

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Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Réunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Martin (French part), Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam

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Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Conclusion

Sadly, Hong Kong SAR follows mainland China fighting the losing battle of trying to prevent the latest coronavirus variant from going through the population, which appears to cause much less trouble to fully vaccinated and boosted.

How Cathay Pacific can come through this is a mystery to me. However, it is clear that China stays closed until at least 2023, and there is very little need for Cathay Pacific outside for Hong Kong residents who want to travel to/from their place of residence.

The airline has offered a very thin flight schedule that doesn’t even really work for those who have wished to transit through HKG, as there is minimal visibility on flights that you can rely on operating.