Macao, Hong Kong declare two-week flight bans over Omicron

Macao has announced a two-week ban on commercial passenger flights from regions outside mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong from midnight on January 9 to midnight on January 23 to prevent the spread of Omicron, according to the country’s government information bureau.

“All civilian flights from outside China are prohibited from carrying passengers to Macao from midnight on January 9, until 11:50 on January 23, 2022,” it said in a statement.

Two airlines likely to be affected by the temporary ban are Scoot (TR, Singapore Changi) and Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad Int’l), while most other airlines serving the Chinese special administrative region of Macao fly in from the mainland, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. The most popular routes from Macau Int’l are Shanghai Pudong, Taipei Taoyuan, and Beijing Capital, the ch-aviation PRO airports module shows.

Hong Kong has also ordered a two-week ban from January 8 to January 21 on flights from eight countries as the city attempts to stem an emerging Omicron outbreak. Incoming passenger flights will not be permitted from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the UK, and the United States, including connections, according to a government statement.

The airlines most affected will be the Philippines’ Cebu Pacific Air (5J, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int’l), which holds almost 4% market share at Hong Kong Int’l in terms of weekly seat capacity; and the UK’s Virgin Atlantic (VS, London Heathrow), which has a market share of 1.12% at Hong Kong. Routes to Sydney Kingsford Smith, London Heathrow, and Los Angeles Int’l feature amongst Hong Kong’s ten most popular outbound destinations, according to ch-aviation capacities data.

Hong Kong has also placed Cabo Verde, Niger, and South Sudan on its list of high-risk countries from January 8 due to the detection of Omicron cases. Non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed in these regions within 21 days will not be allowed to enter Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Macao authorities said travellers who have been in mainland China within 14 days before arrival in Macao and have not been to another country or Taiwan within the past 21 days before arrival must present a negative COVID test within seven days of having been tested.

Those who have visited Taiwan within 21 days of arrival in Macao must present a negative COVID test within 24 hours of having been tested and must undergo 21 days of centralised quarantine under medical observation.

Travellers who have been in Hong Kong within 14 days before arrival must present a negative COVID test within 72 hours after having been tested and undergo 14 days of centralised quarantine under medical observation.