Cathay Pacific Cargo drastically reduces flights in Q1
The new rules require air cargo crew members to undergo compulsory quarantine for three days upon arrival in Hong Kong.
Cathay Pacific Cargo today announced substantial reduction in long-haul capacity in the first quarter of 2022 due to the latest aircrew quarantine measures imposed by the Hong Kong SAR Government in view of rising Omicron cases around the world.
"Our regional freighter services, however, will continue to operate as scheduled and we will continue to explore opportunities to increase regional frequencies to meet demand," an official statement said.
The current move follows additional, more stringent quarantine requirements for Hong Kong-based cargo crews, and Cathay Pacific Cargo had suspended freighter and cargo-only passenger flights till January 6, 2022.
Regional cargo-only passenger flight (COP) services will operate as scheduled in the first quarter while COP services to The Americas will remain suspended in January and only skeletal COP schedules to Europe and South West Pacific will be operated, the statement added. "We are assessing options to increase long-haul COP capacity in February but this is likely to be limited."
The new rules require air cargo crew members to undergo compulsory quarantine at a quarantine hotel for three days upon arrival in Hong Kong.
The base freighter schedule is firm, subject to no further changes to crew quarantine requirements, Cathay Pacific Cargo added in the statement.