NEW DELHI: Hong Kong has banned Air India and Vistara flights from October 17 to 30 after a number of passengers on their flights examined optimistic for COVID-19 submit arrival, a senior authorities official mentioned on Friday.
That is the third time that Air India flights from India have been banned by the Hong Kong authorities for bringing passengers who examined optimistic for the an infection after arrival.
Earlier bans have been throughout September 20-October 3 and August 18-August 31.
Vistara’s flights are being banned for the primary time by the Hong Kong authorities in the course of the coronavirus pandemic.
Passengers from India can arrive in Hong Kong provided that they’ve a COVID-19 adverse certificates from a take a look at performed inside 72 hours previous to the journey, in response to guidelines issued by the Hong Kong authorities in July.
Furthermore, all worldwide passengers are required to endure a post-flight COVID-19 take a look at on the Hong Kong airport.
“Just a few passengers who travelled on Delhi-Hong Kong flight of Air India and Chennai-Hong Kong flight of Vistara on Thursday examined optimistic for COVID-19 submit arrival,” the senior authorities official mentioned.
“Consequently, the flights of those two airways have been barred from October 17 to October 30 by the Hong Kong authorities,” the official added.
Moreover India, a pre-flight COVID-19 adverse certificates is necessary for all passengers from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa and the US, in response to the Hong Kong authorities’s guidelines.
An airline working a flight to Hong Kong from any of those 9 nations has to submit a type earlier than departure, stating that every one passengers onboard have COVID-19 adverse certificates.
Scheduled worldwide passenger flights proceed to stay suspended in India since March 23 as a result of pandemic.
Nonetheless, the Indian airways have been permitted to function particular worldwide flights below the Vande Bharat mission since Might this yr and below the bilateral air bubble pacts since July this yr.
Beneath a bilateral air bubble pact, the airways of each nations can function worldwide flights with sure restrictions.
India has shaped such pacts with roughly 17 nations.
