Hong Kong demands airlines use separate crew for China flights

Hong Kong health officials have asked airlines to begin maintaining separate teams that will fly exclusively to and from mainland China to further reduce the risk of Covid-19 entering the country. The decision to separate China aircrew from those working international routes was made in light of the emerging Omicron variant, sources said, as officials weigh even tougher rules and fewer exemptions for flight personnel, the South China Morning Post has learned. The new measures, which come as Hong Kong rushes to meet Beijing's requirements for reopening the mainland border, will add yet more cost and operational complexity for city flagship carrier Cathay Pacific. The airline is already pushing ahead with contingency measures that could see some of its pilots relocated overseas. In a memo to staff on Wednesday night, Cathay general manager of operations Mark Hoey said the company was poised for the government to act on the new rules imminently. "Expect the final decision on how our crew exemptions will be affected by these changes, if at all," said Hoey, who went on to say the airline had flown as many crew members as it could back to Hong Kong before midnight to beat potential new quarantine rules. "Given the uncertainty that currently exists, we made the decision last night [Tuesday] that, until we have a decision and can adjust the operation accordingly, we will protect our crew as a priority," Hoey added. In response, the Transport and Housing Bureau said: "We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will review the anti-epidemic measures for aircrew as and when appropriate." Hong Kong, one of the first places to record an imported case of Omicron, has reacted dramatically to the situation - branding more than a dozen new countries as high-risk, or Group A, which requires a 21-day quarantine for arrivals and bars all non-residents. The prospect of every region where Cathay operates, other than mainland China and Taiwan, being reclassified as Group A has grown rapidly in recent days as the government weighs how to react to the newly emergent variant. Plans are also being advanced for airlines to arrange for Covid-19 testing for aircrew to take place in their homes so they will not need to enter the community at all during their medical surveillance period.<br/>