When a Cathay Pacific cargo pilot was named in December as one of the first carriers of Omicron in Hong Kong, it was a fitting end to another bleak year for the airline. Cathay has been operating with passenger capacity at 93% below pre-pandemic levels as a result of Hong Kong’s zero-Covid-19 policy, with weeks of quarantine for pilots and crew devastating morale. Strict quarantine measures in the city were made even tougher after the Omicron coronavirus variant prompted new travel curbs. Non-residents from more than 90 countries were banned from entry and passengers from the UK and the US were subjected to 21 days’ quarantine. Cathay pilots said that dozens had quit in the weeks since November following a high-profile quarantine fiasco. That month, three pilots who had tested positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong were sacked after they left their hotel rooms and breached quarantine rules during a layover in Frankfurt.nBecause of the positive cases, 130 Cathay pilots who had stayed at the same hotel were forced to enter 21 days of isolation in the government-run Penny’s Bay quarantine centre, nestled beside Hong Kong Disneyland. Most pilots were released less than a week later after authorities reassessed the risk but for many, the draconian quarantine order represented a breaking point. “The guys here are absolutely desperate,” said one pilot who has been with the company for more than 15 years and was part of the Frankfurt saga. “It feels like we are permanently in quarantine. There are a lot of pilots at the moment who are on long-term stress leave or sick leave.” Cathay pilots and crew have to undergo up to two weeks of quarantine if they land in the city. Story has more.<br/>
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The first of Qantas’ A380s is set to return to service on 11 January 2022 – three months ahead of schedule and two years since its last commercial flight. The airline said it would bring back the superjumbo, VH-OQB, to replace 787-9 international flights currently affected by Queensland’s 14-day isolation rule for aircrew. It completes an unlikely return to the skies for the aircraft that many assumed would be phased out by the flag carrier due to COVID. Qantas said it brought back the A380 early because 70 of its 787 pilots are Queensland-based and are required to undertake 14 days isolation after each international service, reducing their availability to operate. This is not the case for other states, meaning the business will use the A380’s larger capacity to change its schedule.<br/>