Quarantine’s gone so why can’t I find a flight out of Hong Kong?

Hong Kong’s dreaded Covid quarantine policy may be gone, but don’t expect a return to the good old days of travel any time soon. Although millions of people stuck in the Asian financial hub since early 2020 are desperate to get out, there simply aren’t enough flights to meet demand. The number of available seats and flights this month is only about 18% of what it was in October 2019, when travel to and from Hong Kong was already adversely impacted by mass protests. Some 45 airlines are showing scheduled flights to the city in October, half the number versus three years ago. Hong Kong’s main airline, Cathay Pacific, has said it will take time to rebuild capacity as it brings back grounded planes and trains its workforce. The carrier has nine flights a week from Hong Kong to Taipei in October, data from Cirium show. That was 93 before the crisis, when it was one of the world’s busiest international routes. Short-haul trips in Asia are the most popular options for Hong Kong residents looking to escape, according to Trip.com, which saw a nearly 400% increase in outbound bookings the weekend after the plan to drop quarantine was announced. Still, Cathay is only flying to Bangkok 14 times a week versus 63 before the pandemic. Fares have also soared due to the limited availability and with no direct flights to many destinations such as Johannesburg, Adelaide, Colombo and Chicago, journeys are longer. <br/>