Hong Kong Bans Air India Fights For 2 Weeks For Carrying 'Too Many Covid 19 Cases’

The Hong Kong authorities have banned Air India flights traveling to the region for two weeks. According to reports, the move comes after 11 passengers were found Coronavirus positive on an Air India flight on August 14.

Representational Picture (AFP)

New Delhi: Hong Kong authorities have banned Air India flights from traveling to the region due to Covid 19. According to media reports, the Hong Kong authorities have put restrictions for two weeks starting from August 18. A report by South China Morning Post has said that the authorities have taken the decision because the flights were 'carrying too many persons infected with Covid 19. The move comes after eleven passengers were found to be Covid 19 positive on the flight that had departed from New Delhi on August 14. The report by the Hong Kong newspaper has said that the incident raised questions on the tests being done in India. “The fact 11 passengers tested positive on the same flight shows the lab tests back in India are not very reliable…The airline has to do deep cleaning (on its planes) and make sure it won’t happen again on future flights before they can be resumed,” said an unnamed official in the report. Although Air India has not made any official announced on Tuesday it had informed on its Twitter page that the flight scheduled to depart for Hong Kong has been postponed.

#FlyAI : #ImportantUpdate Due to restrictions imposed by Hong Kong Authorities, AI 310/315, Delhi - Hong Kong - Delhi of 18th August 2020 stands postponed. Next update in this regard will be intimated soon. Passengers may please contact Air India Customer Care for assistance.

— Air India (@airindiain) August 17, 2020

The flights travelling to Hong Kong are part of the Vande Bharat mission an initiative by the Indian government to repatriate Indians stuck around the world due to the pandemic. Air India began its services to Hong Kong from May. Since July passengers travelling to Hong kong require to show a Covid negative certificate. The Air India guidelines say that travellers have to show report showing that 'underwent a nucleic acid test for COVID-19, the sample for which was taken from the relevant traveller within 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure of the specified aircraft.' They also have to book a hotel for at least two weeks for self-quarantine upon arrival.