Scoot, KLM: Two new entries to HK’s flight ban list

Dhaka: Scoot and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are the two latest temporary entries to Hong Kong’s ban list as passengers of these airlines tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival.

Both the airlines face a two-week flight suspension by Hong Kong. KLM and Scoot are temporarily off the Amsterdam–Hong Kong route until March 6.

On February 21 evening, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region issued a statement saying a KLM flight that arrived in Hong Kong on February 18, had one passenger who tested positive upon arrival, and two passengers who failed to comply with the requirements as specified under Hong Kong's Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation.

The statement also added Scoot flights carried in four passengers who tested positive to Covid-19 on arrival within a seven-day period.

Hong Kong's controversial flight-specific suspension mechanism allows the Hong Kong Government to prohibit all passenger flights from a specific place from landing in Hong Kong for 14 days.

It can target specific airlines or capture all airlines flying into Hong Kong from a certain origin point.

KLM was operating a weekly service into Hong Kong via Bangkok utilising Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The relevant flight was KL819 which landed in Hong Kong at 19:20 on February 18.

Scoot was operating a daily Boeing 787-9 flight between Singapore and Hong Kong that operated as TR980.