An insider states that the government is examining methods to repatriate more individuals earlier, while an expert recommends focusing on collaboration with airlines to obtain seats and reduce expenses for taxpayers.
The first group of Hongkongers stuck in the Middle East flew back home on Wednesday night as theregional conflictcontinued to worsen, with a source indicating the government was considering methods to recall the others earlier.
This might involve focusing on collaborations with airlines to obtain seats for Hong Kong residents while minimizing expenses for taxpayers, according to an aviation specialist, as affected individuals continue to request chartered flights.
As per the Dubai Airports website, Emirates flight EK380 took off at 10:56 am local time and landed in Hong Kong at 9:50 pm.
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Wing On Travel, a travel company based in Hong Kong, mentioned that 12 passengers and a tour guide were part of the group who boarded the plane for their planned return flight.
It marked the first flight returning to Hong Kong, two days following the resumption of limited flights at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport on Monday evening.
Prominent global airlines declared they would cease their activities in the Middle East starting from last Saturday, including the city’s main airline.Cathay Pacific Airways, and Emirates.
As of Wednesday, approximately 680 Hong Kong residents who were stranded have contacted the Immigration Department, seeking details about their travel plans and flight times. About 100 of them have since departed the area, with others stating they are now safe.
Close to 90 percent of the requests came from Hong Kong residents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The authorities stated they would keep in regular contact with different airlines and encourage them to assist residents in departing the area as soon as possible when operational conditions in the Middle East allowed.
When asked if the government would look into chartered flights or relocating Hongkongers to Oman for subsequent travel, an insider mentioned that the Immigration Department and the Economic and Trade Office in Dubai were examining ways to return them home more quickly.
“They are developing [certain measures] to provide support,” the source stated, encouraging individuals stuck in Dubai to submit their names and circumstances to the Hong Kong authorities.
Some residents flew directly back home on Wednesday, while others, including the Hong Kong women’s football team that pulled out of the Pink Ladies Cup competition in Dubai, opted for longer, more complicated travel paths.
The Hong Kong, China Football Association stated that the team departed for Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday morning and would return to the city in groups.
Another source mentioned that a travel agency working with the association had arranged Emirates flights from Dubai to Bangkok, enabling the players and staff to depart.
However, hundreds of Hongkongers were still stuck because of the greatly reduced flight options, including 22 tourists and a tour guide from Wing On Travel.
The agency mentioned that the group was originally set to return from Dubai on Sunday, but arrangements were made for a flight on Thursday, depending on the airline’s availability.
Yuen Chun-ning, the CEO of travel company WWPKG, mentioned that two of their tour groups, planned to return from Dubai on Wednesday, have managed to get spots on a flight back on Thursday. He also noted that the agency will cover extra costs for lodging and meals.
By 5pm on Wednesday, the Hong Kong Airport Authority reported that 11 flights on that day and an additional five on Thursday were temporarily halted because of the situation in the Middle East.
According to data from the aviation analysis company Cirium, approximately 13,000 out of around 32,000 flights planned to take off and land in the Middle East have been canceled since Saturday, following the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran.
In response to requests from Hong Kong residents stuck in Dubai for private flights out, Andrew Yuen Chi-lok, executive director of the Aviation Policy Research Centre at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, stated that the government should focus on collaborating with airlines.
“This partnership might ensure preferential seating on restored routes, utilizing current resources and lowering expenses for taxpayers. Targeted charters should only be explored if commercial recovery slows down for more than 24 to 48 hours,” he stated.
He mentioned that the government might also collaborate with airlines to establish non-direct flights from Doha, Qatar, to the city.
On the social media platform Threads, a user shared their dissatisfaction with frequently buying Emirates flights through the internet only to have them canceled and refunded later.
“Cancelled, refunded, reimbursing administrative fees – this keeps happening,” the user wrote, adding a sad emoji.
The user also posted an image of a WhatsApp chat between her friend and the Immigration Department, which recommended the person to travel by land from Dubai to Oman and then take a flight back home.
“A seven-hour journey to Oman … comes with a high cost and there’s a possibility we might be deceived. This option is only viable if there are no other alternatives,” the user mentioned.
Must we wait until a Hongkonger is harmed before the government finally takes action to assist us?
In Dubai, one of the seven emirates in the UAE, IT professional Shun Lau faced a challenging scenario. He mentioned that he was not included among the stranded passengers who had registered with a hotel or an airline and were entitled to have their lodging expenses reimbursed by the Dubai or UAE authorities.
Lau, who was in Dubai on vacation, mentioned that he left his hotel on Saturday to catch a flight back to Hong Kong but was prevented from entering the airport when he arrived.
“The government of Dubai or the UAE is not aware of my case at the moment… it’s somewhat embarrassing,” Lau stated.
He mentioned he was also concerned about depleting his mobile data. His 30-day international SIM card will expire next week, and he wasn’t sure where to obtain a new one.
“I’m hesitant to watch too many videos on the street or participate in [media] interviews, fearing I might exhaust my data,” Lau mentioned.
He mentioned that the Hong Kong administration might explore organizing transportation to bring stranded residents to Oman, from where they could board flights back home.
“The [Hong Kong] administration could assist in conveying messages to other governments on behalf of regular citizens like us,” Lau stated.
Another individual, who was visiting Dubai with two young children, mentioned that she wished the Hong Kong government could organize a private flight with Emirates to help Hong Kong residents return home.
“We wish to depart at the earliest opportunity,” the user wrote.
Cathay Pacific Airways announced on Tuesday that all flights to and from Dubai in the UAE and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia have been canceled until March 14.
Another Hong Kong resident, Cathy Lai, who has been stuck in Abu Dhabi, UAE, since Saturday, found her confirmed hotel reservation canceled due to abrupt changes in the government’s policy regarding stranded travelers.
A 32-year-old woman, who recently relocated to Doha, Qatar, along with her husband for professional reasons, had intended to spend one night in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
With the war breaking out, they found themselves stranded, and on Monday morning, Lai started searching for alternative hotel options. She mentioned that the yacht hotel they were staying at was not included in the accommodations covered by the local government for stranded foreigners.
She reserved a room at a nearby hotel from the approved list, got a phone confirmation, and was instructed to visit the front desk to pick up her room key.
However, when Lai arrived later that day, she was informed that the rules had been modified just 30 minutes prior.
“The hotel staff mentioned that the rooms were being held for foreign travelers who had already checked in, not for new guests,” Lai stated.
The team recommended that Lai contact Etihad Airways at the airport for assistance, since she had arranged her return flight to Doha with the airline.
She mentioned that the entire hotel reservation process, along with her journey to the airport, lasted approximately three hours. She also noted that numerous families with kids had spent up to seven hours at the airport waiting for confirmation.
“The government’s approaches were unclear and constantly shifting, which meant we had to keep inquiring and wait for the most recent information,” Lai remembered.
While residing at a newly opened hotel in the Capital Centre area of Abu Dhabi, Lai mentioned she was frightened when the noise of intercepted missile attacks woke her up during the late hours, accompanied by the loud wail of sirens.
“I was too afraid to lift the curtains and see,” she said.
However, Lai mentioned that she no longer needed to be concerned about hotel or meal expenses at the new location, as these were now included.
“We need not concern ourselves with an empty stomach during our next meal,” Lai stated.
She set up a messaging group with several other Hong Kong residents to exchange updates and check in with each other whenever they noticed alarms during the night.
But Lai mentioned that they were secure.
“It’s peaceful here, so I believe my family and friends in Hong Kong don’t have to be overly concerned,” she stated.
Everyone has been extremely supportive… travelers from different nations exchange the most recent updates even though we don’t know each other.
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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