Hong Kong police charge two former aircrew over Covid rules

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Two former flight attendants have been arrested and charged with breaking the city's coronaviruses restrictions.

Police said the two had done unnecessary things when they should have been in home isolation.

They both tested positive for the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

The airline they worked for has not been named, but it is related to the firing of two aircrew by Cathay Pacific.

The two flight attendants who were arrested in the US returned to Hong Kong on 24 and 25 December.

The case will be heard on 9 February.

They could face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to HK$5,000 if convicted.

The initial spread of Omicron in Hong Kong was blamed on the aircrew of the flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific.

The airline was the subject of an investigation by the Hong Kong chief executive.

The chairman of the airline told staff that non-compliance of a "tiny minority" must not overshadow the professionalism of the rest of the crew.

As it pursues the zero Covid policy in mainland China, Hong Kong has continually adjusted itsQuarantine rules for air crew.

The city dramatically tightened its regulations after the emergence of Omicron last year, leading to the cancellation of most of the flights by Cathay.

The airline had been struggling to staff many of its flights before the rules were imposed, as some routes relied on pilots volunteering to fly rosters that required being confined to hotel rooms for five weeks at a time.

The rules have had a negative effect on the mental health of the pilots, one of whom said that he was in a state ofQuarantine.

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Aviation safety.
Hong Kong.
The airline is called Cathay Pacific.
A coronaviruses epidemic.