Hong Kong will ease travel restrictions from nine countries – Australia, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States – beginning April 1, 2022, Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam announced at a press conference on March 21, 2022.
Explaining the decision, Lam said: “The suspension is out of time and causing distress to Hong Kong people stranded overseas.”
Lam added: “The more stringent quarantine requirements imposed on arrivals than local COVID-19 patients or close contacts have also affected the city’s business environment.”
The Hong Kong government could also reduce the hotel quarantine period from 14 to seven days for fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents arriving to the city.
The move was welcomed by the city’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific. In an emailed statement, the airline announced that it is actively working to resume more flights from April 1, 2022.
“We are fully committed to keeping all vital connections, and the flow of people and goods between Hong Kong and the rest of the world moving, and to upholding Hong Kong’s international aviation hub status, just as we have over the past many decades,” Cathay Pacific announced in the statement.
Cathay Pacific passenger traffic in February 2022 continued to be hampered by travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in Hong Kong as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline operated at 2% of pre-COVID levels in February 2022.