Don’t Feathers Your Fags to Hong Kong—Scoot Gets the Grounded Strip
What’s the Story?
By date, April 16 – 29, any plans to hop on a Scoot flight from Singapore to Hong Kong are officially “no-go.” The temporary ban follows a hush‑hush scuffle that started with Singapore Airlines, the parent carrier that’s already on pause until April 17.
The Trigger‑Happy Health Department
Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection spilled the beans on April 15: TR980 landed in the territory on April 11 and its two passengers refused to be “ruffled” by Covid‑19 tests—they tested positive, to say the least. Another passenger? It ignored the health rules en route and left a red flag on the flight.
That’s enough to sting the Department of Health into pulling the padlock: Scoot flights from Singapore are barred from landing in Hong Kong between April 16 and 29.
Let’s Talk Scoot’s Side‑Story
- They’ve already been asked to pull back their daily passenger service—no worries about coming out of Hong Kong to Singapore.
- Those two “positive” passengers were transfers armed with clean pre‑flight negative Covid‑tests but turned legit on arrival.
- A third transfer on the same flight came through negative in Hong Kong, but their documents weren’t 100 % squeaky clean per local rules.
Scoot pledges to tighten up checking stations and tweak staff training to keep future boarders compliant.
For the Trapped Travelers
- If you booked TR980 from April 16 forward, Scoot will either rebook you or give you a full refund.
- They’re genuinely sorry for the inconvenience, and the message is heartfelt.
Why the Strict Rules Kick In Now
Hong Kong’s new threshold (starting April 14) is a low‑threshold trap for airlines:
- Three Covid‑positive passengers on a single flight and the plane’s business ends.
- Or the combo of one infected and one with a paperwork blunder—boom.
That’s down from the previous “five‑passenger” rule, so it’s a bit like tightening the purse‑strings—ever the watchdog state!
What Does This Mean for Travelers?
SIA and Scoot have both announced a temporary halt on talks between Singapore and Hong Kong until further notice. The upside: flights from Hong Kong to Singapore remain fully functional, so you can still cram in luggage or a spontaneous trip back to the Orchard.
Those heading out from Hong Kong can even hop through Changi Airport en route to destinations—no evolutionary zig‑zag needed.
OVERVIEW
- Two passengers on Scoot’s TR980 flagged positive for Covid‑19 in Hong Kong.
- Regulation + no compliance triggers a ban for 14 days.
- Scoot working on tighter checks and offering rebooking/refunds.
- Similar ban on SIA ends on April 17; Scoot lands in on April 30.
For those of you with tickets on TR980 or any future Singapore–Hong Kong flyer, keep that notebook handy. Scoot’s digital “no‑flight” overlay is live, while the journey from Hong Kong to Singapore continues, unless you’re looking for an adventure that’s exactly the opposite direction.
