Singapore Airlines passenger flights barred from landing in Hong Kong for two weeks from 3 to 16 Apr

The Government of Hong Kong on Friday (2 Apr) said it prohibits Singapore Airlines (SIA) passenger flights departing from Singapore to land in Hong Kong from 3 April to 16 April, after a passenger flying from Singapore to Hong Kong on 31 March was confirmed to have COVID-19.

In a daily press release on COVID-19 updates earlier today, it stated that a passenger on Flight SQ882 – operated by SIA departing from Singapore to Hong Kong on 31 March – was confirmed to have COVID-19 through a specimen collected at the Hong Kong Department of Health’s Temporary Specimen Collection Centre.

Additionally, Hong Kong noted that three passengers had “failed to comply with requirements specified under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H)”.

“Thus, the DH [Hong Kong Department of Health] invoked the regulation to prohibit landing of passenger flights from Singapore operated by Singapore Airlines in Hong Kong from April 3 to 16, 2021,” it stated.

While it was confirmed that the airline has been ordered to suspend the daily passenger service from Singapore to Hong Kong between 3 April to 16 April, its passenger service from Hong Kong to Singapore is not affected, a spokesperson from SIA told CNA.

“The health and safety of our customers and staff is our top priority. We will continue to work with the authorities to ensure that all passengers meet the regulatory requirements for entry into Hong Kong,” said the spokesperson, adding that SIA will also assist the health authorities in all contact tracing efforts.

The Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble (ATB) was initially set to commence on 22 November last year but it was deferred for two weeks after a spike in the number of COVID-19 infections in Hong Kong.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced on 1 December last year that the ATB will be further deferred beyond December 2020.