British Airways, Emirates, KLM

Hong Kong has temporarily banned four international flights under strict new rules aimed at preventing the recent COVID-19 eruption.

Flights of British Airways, Emirates, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Nepal Airlines have all been suspended by the Hong Kong government. Many passengers on recent flights have tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival.

These restrictions are in effect for 14 days, and even a positive passenger on a flight to Hong Kong may find that the flight is subject to a two-week ban if other passengers fail to comply with internal health measures.

On Tuesday, December 8, it was revealed that a British Airways flight from London was carrying four passengers with PA27, Covit-19.

The Hong Kong Department of Health said it would “ban the landing of passenger planes from London operated by the BA in Hong Kong from December 12 to 25”.

“We are disappointed that Hong Kong authorities have instructed us to temporarily suspend our passenger flights from London to Hong Kong and are working closely with the authorities to restart these services,” British Airways said in a statement: “This is our flight from Hong Kong to London.”

Similar restrictions have been imposed on KLM, Emirates and Nepal Airlines, while Air India has been issued with five restrictions to date.

In the case of Emirates, on December 2 and 3 two consecutive flights from Dubai to Hong Kong via Bangkok were found to be on board one or more COVID-positive passengers.

The rise in Hong Kong’s corona virus cases closed the long-awaited travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore earlier this month.

read more: The Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble has been postponed to 2021

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveler and a travel tragedy with weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.