Hong Kong bars Air India flights for fourth time as passengers test positive for COVID-19

New Delhi: Hong Kong has banned Air India flights from Mumbai till November 10 after a few passengers on its flight earlier this week tested positive for COVID-19 post-arrival, a senior government official said on Friday. This is the fourth time that Air India flights from India have been banned by the Hong Kong government for bringing passengers who tested positive for the infection after arrival.

Previous bans were on the airline's Delhi-Hong Kong flights from 20 September-3 October and 18-31 August and 17-30 October. Passengers from India can arrive in Hong Kong only if they have a COVID-19 negative certificate from a test done within 72 hours prior to the journey, according to rules issued by the Hong Kong government in July.

Moreover, all international passengers are required to undergo a post-flight COVID-19 test at the Hong Kong airport. Besides India, a pre-flight COVID-19 negative certificate is mandatory for all passengers from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, France, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, the UK, and the US, according to the Hong Kong government's rules.

An airline operating a flight to Hong Kong from these countries has to submit a form before departure, stating that all passengers onboard have COVID-19 negative certificates. "A few passengers who travelled on Air India's Mumbai-Hong Kong flight earlier this week tested positive for COVID-19 post-arrival at Hong Kong," the senior government official said.

"Subsequently, the Mumbai-Hong Kong flights have been barred from 28 October to 10 November by the Hong Kong government," the official added. Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since 23 March due to the pandemic.

However, the Indian airlines have been permitted to operate special international flights under the Vande Bharat Mission since May this year and under the bilateral air bubble pacts since July this year.

Under a bilateral air bubble pact, the airlines of both countries can operate international flights with certain restrictions. India has formed such pacts with approximately 18 countries.

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