Omicron: did Cathay Pacific abuse quarantine exemption for cargo staff? Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says authorities will probe airline’s claims of compliance
- Chief executive tells lawmakers investigation under way into carrier’s rostering practices, refuses to answer if government had prior knowledge of alleged policy abuse
- Airline chairman says arrangement was in line with regulations, pledges cooperation with authorities
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has said the government is investigating claims by Cathay Pacific that it did not abuse a quarantine exemption policy by allowing aircrew to return on cargo flights.
A day earlier, Cathay Pacific chairman Patrick Healy told staff in a video that the practice was entirely in line with government regulations in place until December 29 last year, and that the airline would cooperate with two investigations.
In the address seen by the Post, Healy said Hong Kong’s flag carrier would cooperate with probes into crew who did not comply with self-isolation rules, and the airline’s practice of rostering staff on cargo-only passenger aircraft, which had allowed them to avoid hotel quarantine upon return.
Pointing to thousands of crew members who had travelled back to Hong Kong on cargo-only passengers flights last year, Healy said it was the company’s decision. “I am very confident that this rostering practice was entirely in line with the government regulations.”
But the Transport and Housing Bureau, in a statement to the Post on Wednesday, said locally based passenger crew who had stopovers overseas were subject to self-isolation in designated quarantine hotels upon return to Hong Kong, and the home isolation arrangement for cargo crew was not applicable to them.