The extra sauce on top of this clearly unpleasant situation is this: if any flight from any destination arrives in HKG with four or more infected passengers (this happens easily now with Omicron), the entire route must be suspended for 14 days. This regulation is coming from the government, not from Cathay Pacific. It makes planning and moving passengers into HK nearly impossible, unless they are coming direct from one of the few COVID-free zones left in the world.
Guy
So they will be commencing flights to and from Pyongyang soon then?
Yes that noted business hub, with a high demand for business class seats to help the airline get through this revenue crunch.
Guy
The situation in HK has become even more extreme. Keep in mind this new transit ban (from 153 countries!) is in addition to travellers from Australia, Canada, France, India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Britain and the United States being banned entirely.
https://news.yahoo.com/hong-kong-airport-bans-transit-063024841.html“Hong
Guy
From the Cathay Web Site
https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_TW/prepare-trip/travel-advisories/latest-hkg-transit-information.html?cxsource=roller
“…Passengers on flights arriving from cities in the Chinese Mainland and Taiwan region may continue to connect to onward flights. Passengers starting their journey from any other destination will not be able to use Hong Kong as a transit point during this period…”
Though what you could transit to would of course be another matter, no doubt very few flights in or out of HK now.
The Mainland Airlines have of course got a domestic network to help them out. Cathay doesn’t have many flights to/from the Mainland in normal times and they are probably done for now in any case.
Does the airline get money from Hk Gov to help out? I wonder how they can stay in business and if a club member I would use up all my points ASAP. I wonder like Singapore is there more out bound travel?
The Hong Kong Government bailed Cathay out to the tune of around HKD30 Billion about a year ago I think.
Yes, it would be a good idea to use what Asia Miles points you have, before they expire, or before Cathay itself expires. You can use the points to book hotels.
Wow, a lot of cash!
Seems they will pay it back with higher interest
Just to be clear: I “liked” that post to thank you Connie for the link to the Bloomberg story, not because I am delighted that Cathay is such trouble. 
Guy
Well they made it past the worst it seems, so hope they recover to KHH with Taiwan staff if they still work there. Euro airlines are super busy.
Cathay Pacific is still operating a skeletal schedule. Restrictions in HK have not made it possible for them to act like European airlines at this time.
Guy
I used to fly Cathay, not anymore.
To add to their problems is the Russia issue. Very few airlines are now flying over Russian Airspace (as Cathay do on most of their flights to/from Europe). But of course being part of China probably means that they can, but who knows what might happen in that regard. I notice that the Japanese airlines, who used to fly over Russia to Europe, have now moved to a slightly longer route over Anchorage, the Arctic and Greenland.
On the current Canadian government list of travel advisories, they indicate the following:
National Security Law
The National Security Law for Hong Kong came into effect in 2020. Activities considered as national security violations are broadly and vaguely defined. They could include activities that are not considered illegal in Canada and that occurred outside of Hong Kong.
You risk being arbitrarily detained on national security grounds, even while you are transiting through Hong Kong. You could be subject to transfer to mainland China for prosecution. Penalties are severe and include life imprisonment.
Guy
Exactly why I’m not flying them, neither do I fly any airline that transfers in China or HK.
KLM, direct flight to AMS if available.
I saw cheap airfares from KHH to the EU on them but yes thinking Hong Kong is not go place to go now, but I think I will try from KHH to Japan then EU, can also shopping in Japan on stopover.
As you may know, currently almost all noncitizens and nonresidents of Japan cannot enter the country.
Flying from Japan to EU is also a problem now given the restrictions on / dangers of flying over Russian aeroplace.
Guy
Here is an example of the route that JAL (JL407) flies from Narita to Frankfurt.
Before the Ukraine business, the route would go north until past the NE corner of China, then turn left.
That’s an insane route—and very hard on the crew as they travel close to the North Pole.
Guy