Following the announcement of suspension of all its long-haul freighter flights, Cathay Pacific said it will require all its eligible aircrew members to receive a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Corporate Affairs Andy Wong said on recent days, five of its aircrew members have tested positive for the Omicron variant of Covid-19 during their “medical surveillance” following their return to Hong Kong.

“Regrettably, our investigation into these cases has indicated a serious breach of protocols by some of those individuals,” Wong said in a December 31 statement.

“The actions of these individuals are extremely disappointing, as they undermine the otherwise exemplary dedication and compliance shown by our over 10,000 aircrew. Cathay Pacific is acutely aware of the critical importance of complying with anti-pandemic measures both in Hong Kong and overseas, and apologises for the inconvenience and disruption caused by these non-compliant cases. Cathay Pacific will continue to work closely with the Transport and Housing Bureau as well as the health authorities to reinforce public health protection,” he added.

This comes as Hong Kong pushes its zero-Covid policy, with the government already earlier tigheting quarantine measures for air cargo crew members amid the rising trend of imported COVID-19 cases with the Omicron variant.

“We operate all our flights with fully vaccinated aircrew only,” Wong added, noting that Cathay Pacific air crew are tested frequently and in 2021 alone have undertaken over 210,000 COVID-19 tests in Hong Kong, including multiple tests after every flight.

“To further safeguard the public health of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific is requiring all eligible aircrew to receive a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine. All other Cathay Pacific employees will also be strongly encouraged to get a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as early as possible,” the Cathay executive said.