Air India Flights to Hong Kong Banned For Two Weeks as Chinese Authorities Impose Restrictions

The Chinese government has banned Air India from operating international flights to Hong Kong for two weeks after 11 people were tested positive in the last Delhi- Hong Kong flight on August 14.

Air India had to cancel its Hong-Kong flight on Monday after the airline was informed about certain restrictions. Return flights to India were cancelled as well.

Speaking to the Times of India, an Air India official stated that the reason for restrictions were still unknown which led to the cancellations of the flights on Monday. The move is expected to affect thousands of Hong Kong citizens who are currently stranded in India.

Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that Hong Kong continued to prohibit flights from India, as the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world. It said national carrier Air India has applied for permission with the Hong Kong authorities to operate flights.

“Civil aviation access is a matter of reciprocal bilateral arrangements," the ministry tweeted. “As far as flights to and from Hong Kong are concerned, the problem is that HK [Hong Kong] is not allowing flights from certain places of origin including India. Air India has applied for permission with the authorities."

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The ministry also said India is discussing a bilateral air bubble with Kuwait. New Delhi already has bilateral agreements with countries like the United Arab Emirates, United States, Germany and France to operate flights.

“Significant progress made on aviation access between India and Kuwait," the ministry had tweeted. “Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation and President of Directorate General of Civil Aviation-Kuwait had useful and productive discussions on several issues related with bilateral access between our two countries which will be resolved soon."