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Global Category Intelligence
Q2 2025
Global Category Intelligence
Q2 2025
Hong Kong Airport Flight Restrictions Further Impacting Global Supply Chain Disruptions
January 7, 2022
Cathy Pacific (CX) announced a temporary suspension of long-haul freight flights into and out from Hong Kong covering US, EU, ME and South Pacific from December 31 to January 6 in lieu of crew quarantine challenges. Short-haul Intra-Asia flights are not impacted by this suspension.
The impact would be a reduction of freight capacities ex HKG as follows:
- 4,000 tons to US
- 1,800 tons to ME
- 700~800 tons to EU
- 400 tons to South Pacific
What you Should Know
- The outlook suggests that this will likely have a market-wide impact and with pronounced spillover effects on related logistics channels and alternative freight modes.
- Upcoming Lunar New Year challenges will collide with serious reductions of air space (ex-HKG / into HKG). The outlook points towards impacts on freight costs increases in coming weeks and months.
- As this situation is rapidly changing and fluid, Jabil global logistics is currently investigating/managing shipping impacts and will provide further guidance and alerts in the coming days.
s of today (January 7), CX has announced that the original intending resumption of its freighter flights after the temporary suspension will be minimal with essentially almost none through the end of March 2022.
This translates to an overall reduction by effectively 80% of their freighter flights through Q1 2022, specifically:
- US freighters:
- Drops from 39 flights to 7 flights per week (82% decrease)
- 4 out of 7 flights are charter, only 3 freighters are scheduled commercial freighters (overall, more than 90% decrease)
- EU freighters:
- Drops from 7 flights to 0
- South Pacific freighters:
- Drops from 2 flights to 0
Two Week Ban Impacting Eight Countries
On January 5, 2022, Hong Kong authorities announced a two week ban on incoming passenger flights from eight countries: AU/CA/FR/IN/PH/PK/GB/US in lieu of new COVID infections and fear of a fifth wave. This ban will take effect from January 8 - 21.
In addition, new local quarantine policies have been implemented, which impacts critical flight crew assignments. These policies are leading to crew shortages as some carriers need to secure additional groups of flight personnel (per flight) which will result to cost increases and further delays/cancelations.
Please do not hesitate to contact us directly with any questions, (ruth_maciver@jabil.com, jeannie_carpenter@jabil.com, francis_loh@jabil.com).
Ruth Maciver, Director European Logistics
Jeannie Carpenter, Director Americas Logistics
Francis Loh, Director Asia Logistics
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