BA is set to resume passenger flights with Hong Kong from this weekend.
British Airways is ready to take-off for Hong Kong again with flights due to resume from Sunday May 9, the airline has announced.
A flight ban with the United Kingdom was lifted by the Hong Kong government this week following a significant drop in Covid-19 cases and a successful vaccination roll-out in Britain.
BA says it will initially be operating flights twice a week on Friday and Sunday, with fares starting from HK$3,920. The airline’s ‘Book With Confidence’ commitment means passengers will be able to change booking dates or cancel flights completely.
This Sunday's flight will be the first to depart London Heathrow for Hong Kong since December 2020, when UK arrivals were banned from landing in the Asian city due to an outbreak of the so-called Kent variant of Covid-19.
“We can’t wait to welcome our customers onboard our flights from London Heathrow to Hong Kong again, and are delighted to be able to reunite families and friends with their loved ones after such a long time apart,” said Noella Ferns, head of sales for Asia Pacific at BA.
Hong Kong’s ban extended to all passengers who had been in the UK for longer than two hours in the 21 days before travel. Many Hong Kong residents caught out have since been forced to travel home via a third country.
Despite direct passenger flights now being welcomed back, UK arrivals must still complete a 21 day quarantine on arrival in a government designated hotel, regardless of vaccination status. Given the UK’s successful vaccination roll-out, it’s likely that many returnees will be fully inoculated.
To ensure passenger safety on board, BA is collaborating with disinfection specialist Dettol to keep planes virus-free. The airline will be cleaning all key surfaces including seats, screens, seat buckles and tray tables after every flight and each aircraft is cleaned from nose to tail every day. The air on all British Airways flights is fully recycled once every two-to-three minutes using HEPA filters, which remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with more than 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.
Further safety measures include requiring passengers to wear face masks on board and asking them to refresh masks every four hours, downloading boarding passes to a mobile device where possible, using online check-in services, observing social distancing regulations, regularly using hand sanitiser facilities provided in airports and, where possible, storing carry-on bags under the seat in front of them.
For further ticketing and scheduling information, check online.
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