Hong Kong has grown more isolated as aviation hub, head of global airline association warns

Hong Kong as a top aviation hub has become increasingly isolated during the pandemic while the rest of the world has started to open up to international travel, the head of a global airline association has warned. The DG of the IATA, Willie Walsh, said on Tuesday the city’s status as an aviation hub had been “severely impacted” by travel restrictions as it fought the fifth wave of the coronavirus.<br/>“I think Hong Kong has become increasingly isolated,” he told a media briefing. Walsh also weighed in on Sino-US tensions, saying the decision by Washington to suspend 44 flights after Beijing imposed similar restrictions on American companies was “unhelpful”. As many countries have eased travel restrictions and adopt a strategy of living with the virus, Hong Kong and mainland China have stuck to a “dynamic zero-infection” approach, under which local cases are expected but steps are taken to identify transmission links and cut them off as quickly as possible. Hong Kong has banned non-residents from about 150 places it deems high risk because of the coronavirus. Residents arriving from these countries or territories are subject to 21 days of compulsory quarantine after landing. This month, the city also banned all flights from eight countries, including the US and Britain, and suspended transit flights from most of the rest of the world. The IATA said it hoped Hong Kong would look at other countries whose governments were beginning to relax travel restrictions, despite the threat of the Omicron variant.<br/>