By Freight carrier FedEx Corp will temporarily relocate its Hong Kongbased pilots to San Francisco because it expects the Asian financial capital to establish strict 14day hotel quarantine requirements for crew, it said in a memo to pilots.
The company said it did not think it was appropriate to subject Hong Kongbased crew members to extended periods of isolation, preventing them from seeing their families after finishing a trip.
While we dont know what the rule will state, when it will precisely take effect, or how long it will last, we do not want unknowns to prevent us from taking action on what we understand may likely occur, FedEx System Chief Pilot Robin Sebasco said in the memo seen by Reuters, which was first reported by the South China Morning Post on Thursday.
A FedEx spokeswoman said it was developing steps to comply with potential quarantine measures in a way that prioritised the safety and wellbeing of staff while allowing it to continue to operate to Hong Kong.
The memo said the company would cover hotel costs and outofpocket expenses for pilots and their families in San Francisco, while continuing to pay their housing allowances in Hong Kong.
However, a Hong Kongbased FedEx pilot said on condition of anonymity that there were flaws in the plan. Many pilots have children in school in Hong Kong, he said, and regardless, it will be difficult for families to live in hotel rooms for weeks or months at a time.
Hong Kongs biggest airline, Cathay Pacific…
