London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Foreign aircrew refusing to fly to Hong Kong over mandatory Covid-19 testing concerns, sources say

Foreign aircrew refusing to fly to Hong Kong over mandatory Covid-19 testing concerns, sources say

United Airlines and American Airlines cancel recently resumed services to city. Pilot unions concerned positive test could throw flight operations into chaos
Foreign pilots and cabin crew are refusing to fly to Hong Kong over fears of testing positive for Covid-19, as United Airlines and American Airlines (AA) became the first carriers to suspend flights to the city on Thursday over new mandatory-testing rules for aircrew.

The first batch of results from mandatory aircrew tests uncovered four cases, including three locally-based pilots working for Hong Kong Air Cargo, a unit of Hong Kong Airlines, who had just returned from Almaty in Kazakhstan.

“We can confirm that one of the cases testing positive is a Hong Kong Air Cargo crew member who is a HK resident,” a Hong Kong Air Cargo spokeswoman said.

The Centre for Health Protection classified the cases as imported.

A coalition of European and North American carriers has proposed testing aircrew before they depart for Hong Kong, according to those familiar with the talks.

Airlines are concerned all crews could be quarantined for 14 days if one person tested positive, something flight staff find unacceptable.

Companies also feared subsequent quarantine would throw flight operations into chaos and were willing to cancel flights and give up precious revenue to resolve the issue, sources added.

The sudden cancellation of the relaunched United and AA services stems from concerns raised by both companies’ pilots unions over the testing. American, which was expected to resume passenger flights to Hong Kong this week, has suspended services until August 5.

Over the past three days, 80 people have been confirmed as infected with Covid-19 in Hong Kong. Of those, most involved local cases, and some patients had no travel history and no identifiable source of infection.

The cases have sparked fears a third wave of the virus has hit the city, and prompted health chiefs to introduce stricter measures to combat rising concerns of a community outbreak.

A United Airlines spokesman said: “UA877 was cancelled due to recent changes in testing protocol at HKG. United flights to and from HKG are suspended through July 10 (westbound).

“We are currently assessing how this impacts our future operations.”

UA877 was scheduled to depart San Francisco for Hong Kong on July 8. HKG is the airport code reference for Hong Kong International Airport.

“We’ve been making regular adjustments to our schedule to match demand, and we consider a range of factors including travel restrictions or entry requirements in making network decisions,” an AA spokesman said.

According to sources, the counterproposal from airlines is seen as a workaround, and involves testing aircrew on departure to weed out positive cases before they arrive in Hong Kong.

Covid-19 testing before departure can be carried out at short notice if required,” the source said, stressing the need to take precautions.

On Tuesday, the Centre for Health Protection announced that all air and shipping crew members arriving in the city must provide deep-throat saliva samples for coronavirus testing.

The stricter measures for people exempted from quarantine were imposed after some pilots were among those found to be infected with Covid-19.

Pilots are now required to go to the nearby AsiaWorld-Expo to get tested, although unlike the general public, aircrew do not have to wait for their results, and are free to leave the testing centre.

KLM cancelled its Amsterdam-Hong Kong flight on Wednesday, resulting in a knock-on effect to the return flight. According to the Dutch national carrier’s website, the return flight on Friday would be routed via Bangkok. An airport source said the carrier was making the arrangement to ensure their crews did not have to stay overnight in Hong Kong and get tested.

British Airways said it would “comply” with the testing process and all other measures implemented by local authorities.

Lufthansa Group said it had no comments on the new arrangements, while Air France-KLM was also contacted for a response.
United’s swift cancellation of all flights marks a big U-turn for one of the top US airlines. Only last week, it formally announced the resumption of flights to Hong Kong from San Francisco and Singapore. The first flight was on Wednesday.

United also announced last weekend the return of Chicago-Hong Kong flights starting in September. The route was previously scrapped amid anti-government protests.

Separately, United announced on Wednesday it could lay-off around 36,000 staff, or two-fifths of its workforce, as soon as financial aid from the United States government expires.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×