Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific to face further legal action if there is ‘sufficient evidence’ it exploited quarantine exemption rules

Transport and Housing Bureau tells lawmakers it will ‘follow up seriously’ with its investigation even after two former Cathay staff charged with violating quarantine rules

Airline’s chairman had submitted written explanations to city’s leader on its rostering practice and will cooperate with investigations

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Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 4:55pm, 19 Jan 2022Updated: 8:12pm, 19 Jan 2022

The Hong Kong government has threatened to take further legal action against Cathay Pacific and its staff if sufficient evidence arises in its current investigation into whether the airline abused a quarantine exemption policy by allowing aircrew to return on cargo flights.

The Transport and Housing Bureau said on Wednesday, in response to questions from lawmakers, that it was continuing to conduct an in-depth investigation and would “follow up seriously” even after two former Cathay flight attendants were charged two days ago over flouting home isolation rules.

“If the investigation identifies sufficient evidence, indicating the need for the government to take further legal action, the government will not hesitate to take action,” the bureau said.

Authorities are looking into the practice that allowed returning cabin crew who had flown out on commercial routes to skip hotel quarantine and self-isolate at home – an exemption granted only to cargo pilots.

Hong Kong’s fifth wave of infections emerged at the end of December, with a growing number of local cases linked to a Cathay flight attendant who violated home isolation rules while carrying the Omicron variant. He was one of four Cathay employees determined by authorities to have flouted regulations. The airline subsequently fired two of the workers.

Cathay said in a statement on January 11 that it was common practice for cabin crew to travel on outbound passenger flights and back on cargo-only passenger aircraft between July and December last year to comply with public health regulations.

On that same day, Cathay chairman Patrick Healy told staff in a video that the practice was entirely in line with government regulations at the time. “I am very confident that this rostering practice was entirely in line with the government regulations,” he said.