Troubled carrier Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd received another blow as Hong Kong unveiled a policy that threatens to eliminate nearly all travel from the US.
All passengers in the US must prove they tested negative for Covid-19 within three days of their flight to Hong Kong, the city’s government announced on Wednesday. The policy adds the US to a list of high-risk places that include India, Indonesia and South Africa.
However, in many parts of the US, getting results from a Covid-19 test within 72 hours is nearly impossible. Because of skyrocketting demand, hospitals are still finding themselves short on supplies and even major labs, like Quest Diagnostics Inc, are so bogged down that the turnaround times can exceed a week.
Before the pandemic, Cathay had direct flights to multiple US cities, including several a day from New York. That line-up has shrunk to just a few flights a week. The carrier closed its cabin crew bases in the US in April because of the impact the virus had on global travel.
Cathay, which warned last week of a HK$9.9 billion ($1.3 billion) first-half loss, has turned to the government for support in a HK$39-billion rescue plan. Its shares have fallen 43 per cent so far this year.