REUTERS
December 29, 2022 at 11:20 JST
An aerial view shows the Choi Hung public housing estate and other residential buildings in Hong Kong. (REUTERS)
HONG KONG--Hong Kong’s government has asked Japan to withdraw a COVID-19 restriction that requires passenger flights from the financial hub to land at only four designated Japanese airports, saying the decision will impact around 60,000 passengers.
Japan, which is a top travel destination for Hong Kong people, said it would limit flights from Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China to Tokyo’s two airports, plus Osaka and Nagoya from Dec. 30.
The decision comes during a peak travel season and ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday which begins Jan. 22.
“It is understood that around 250 outbound flights of Hong Kong airlines will be affected between Dec. 30 and the end of January, affecting around 60,000 passengers,” the government said in a statement late Dec. 28.
City leader John Lee said the government had indicated to the Japanese government it was disappointed.
“We think that Hong Kong people should be allowed to use not just these four airports,” Lee said.
Flights of Hong Kong airlines can still carry passengers back to Hong Kong from various airports in Japan, the government said, to “ensure the smooth return of Hong Kong people from Japan and to minimize the impact to Hong Kong travelers caused by the incident.”
Hong Kong Airlines and Peach Aviation announced they would cancel some flight routes because of the rules.
The United States, India, Italy and Taiwan now require mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China after Beijing’s decision to lift stringent zero-COVID policies.
China in December began dismantling the world’s strictest COVID regime of lockdowns and extensive testing, putting its battered economy on course for a complete re-opening next year.
The lifting of restrictions, following widespread protests against them, means COVID is spreading largely unchecked and likely infecting millions of people a day, according to some international health experts.
EDITORIAL: Secrecy blowing China’s chances of overcoming its COVID-19 crisis
December 28, 2022
China to step up financial support to COVID-hit catering, tourism sectors
December 27, 2022
Japan to require COVID tests for all visitors from China
December 27, 2022
China to scrap COVID quarantine rule for inbound travelers
December 27, 2022
Half of China’s 1.4 billion people projected to get COVID-19
December 26, 2022
Beijing, Shanghai residents back to work as China eases into living with COVID
December 26, 2022
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
