London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 23, 2025

COVID-19: British Airways suspends Hong Kong flights as crew forced to quarantine after one member tests positive for coronavirus

COVID-19: British Airways suspends Hong Kong flights as crew forced to quarantine after one member tests positive for coronavirus

The airline apologises to customers for the disruption to their travel plans and is said to be supporting staff now having to quarantine in the former British territory.

British Airways has confirmed it has temporarily suspended flights to and from Hong Kong after a crew member reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

The airline has apologised to customers for the disruption to their travel plans.

A member of the flight crew was found to have coronavirus on arrival at Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday, according to reports.

The crew is self-isolating at the Penny's Bay quarantine centre, built from containers especially for COVID


Due to Hong Kong's COVID rules, the whole crew is having to isolate at a quarantine centre made up of shipping containers.
Advertisement

The day before, another group of BA pilots and crew is understood to have been released from the centre in Penny's Bay on Lantau Island after spending a week there following a pilot testing positive for COVID when they arrived in Hong Kong.

BA said in a statement: "We have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend flights to Hong Kong while we review operational requirements for this route.

"We apologise to our customers who have had their travel plans disrupted and will be in touch to give them options."

No indication was given by the operator on how long flights would be suspended for on the route.

The British flag carrier is understood to be supporting staff now having to quarantine in the former British territory.

Inside the containers that make up the quarantine centre


Hong Kong has some of the strictest COVID rules in the world, with close contacts of a positive case having to quarantine at the centre even if they are fully vaccinated and continue to test negative.

It also requires 21 days in hotel quarantine for passengers arriving from high-risk countries, even if they are fully vaccinated.

The development comes as nations around the world tightened controls following the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Ten countries were moved to the UK government's red list for travel: South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
Arrivals from all

of these countries will need to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days at a cost of £2,285.

Passengers arriving to the UK have been told that from 4am on Tuesday they will have to take a PCR test for COVID-19, with the expectation that they will have to self-isolate until they receive their negative result.

All contacts with a suspected case of the Omicron variant will have to isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status, amid concerns existing jabs will be less effective against the strain that is believed to spread rapidly.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has also said mandatory mask-wearing will return to shops and public transport on Tuesday under plans to tackle the spread of the new concerning strain.

But the cabinet minister insisted it was going to be a "great Christmas" and said the situation was "nowhere near" the need to reintroduce social distancing rules and work from home guidance.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×