Coronavirus: airlines face stiffer penalties including transfer ban in Hong Kong if passengers left stranded in transit
- Airport Authority Hong Kong unveiled stiffer sanctions after it emerged some transfer passengers had been trapped airside for up to three months
- Other new punishments could include passport and boarding pass checks for specific flight numbers immediately after disembarkment
“To avoid the recurrence of passengers being stranded at Hong Kong International Airport due to the mishandling of transit/transfer services by airlines, the Airport Authority has raised matters regarding the strengthening of flight management, immigration and quarantine for transit/transfer passengers,” the airport operator in a statement posted on its website.
Other new punishments would include passport and boarding pass checks immediately after disembarkment for a specific flight number, if the airline had on a previous flight brought in transit passengers who were not accepted by authorities because of travel restrictions.
“In case of serious violation, the transit/transfer service at Hong Kong for the flight of the same flight number may be suspended,” it warned.