Hong Kong bans Philippine Airlines flights from Manila for 2 weeks with city set to allow in helpers jabbed overseas
- Ban is likely to upend travel plans of some Filipino helpers just as a new scheme opens permitting them to come to city after months of waiting
- Employer representatives say they will be affected by ban, but note other airlines operating route can offer alternatives
Mike Cheung Chung-wai, president of the Overseas Employment Centre, said he was surprised to find out about the sudden flight suspension.
“I’m just hearing about this, but we will be affected,” he said. “It’s just going to be a big impact, not only for clients intending to bring in helpers … but also future clients who are open to hiring helpers overseas will now have second thoughts.”
Philippine Airlines is one of a handful of carriers shuttling domestic workers between Manila and Hong Kong, and the unexpected ban comes at a particularly inopportune time.
Thousands of would-be helpers in the Philippines and Indonesia with work lined up in the city had found themselves stuck in limbo for months due to Hong Kong authorities’ reluctance to accept Covid-19 vaccination records from their home countries. However, with local employer representatives warning of a serious labour shortage, the government finally struck deals with the two high-risk countries to allow helpers vaccinated there to begin flying into the city on Monday.
