Infected With COVID-19 During Transit In Frankfurt, Cathay Pacific Fires Three Pilots

Illustration of the Cathay Pacific Cargo fleet. (Wikimedia Commons/Mehdi Nazarinia)

JAKARTA - Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific Airways said it had fired three cargo pilots who were infected with COVID-19 during a layover in Frankfurt, Germany for alleged "serious violations" of crew rules while overseas.

"The persons concerned are no longer employed by Cathay Pacific," the company said in a statement issued on Thursday, citing CNA Nov. 19.

The South China Morning Post, which first reported the shooting, cited a source as saying the pilots were suspected of leaving their hotel room in Germany.

The discovery of the infection led to more than 150 other Cathay Pacific employees, including pilots and flight attendants, as well as many household members and community contacts being sent to government quarantine facilities for three weeks.

"As a result of these findings, we have asked the government to review the decision to place certain groups into government quarantine," Cathay said.

Hong Kong has recorded almost no local coronavirus cases in recent months, but authorities at the global financial hub have tightened quarantine rules.

Moreover, Hong Kong is following in Beijing's footsteps in maintaining strict travel restrictions, in contrast to the global trend of opening up and living with the coronavirus.

The city government hopes tougher rules will convince China, the main source of its economic growth, to gradually open its border with Hong Kong.

After a pilot case was reported last week, Cathay Pacific said it would step up compliance checks at overseas airports, to ensure health and safety protocols are strictly followed during transit.

To note, all Cathay Pacific crew have received the COVID-19 vaccine and the airline said it would implement a booster dose as well.

Hong Kong's strict rules, which include hotel quarantines of up to three weeks for arrivals, have led to a decline in travel demand.

To note, Cathay Pacific this week said it was operating in October at just 10 percent of pre-pandemic passenger capacity, recording a 97.2 percent drop in passenger numbers from 2019.

However, demand for cargo is much stronger and airlines are nearing their operating cash break-even point for the July to October period.