[AMcWhirter]

*All* passengers arriving by Qatar Airways at Athens have been quarantined.

The Guardian reports that 12 out of the 91 passengers on the flight from Doha tested positive for Covid-19.

It means non-infected passengers will be kept in quarantine for seven days. Those who tested positive will be quarantined for 14 days.

It is reported that air links between Greece and Doha are now suspended until mid-June.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/03/covid-19-greece-quarantines-all-passengers-from-qatar-flight

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=999902]The Guardian reports that 12 out of the 91 passengers on the flight from Doha tested positive for Covid-19.[/quote]

Ok, it’s:

** only one flight

** reported in the Guardian

** Greece is not the UK

** 13% of passengers infected

Wonder how many Doha to UK flights are scheduled for tomorrow, makes you wonder what the results would be if the UK had similar testing:

Today seems 6 or 7 flight arrivals from Doha into the UK, according to the LHR arrivals board.

Still, from next Monday, quarantine (aka, self isolation)…

[AMcWhirter]

Nevertheless this development must concern the large hub carriers who source their passengers from so many different countries.

A connecting passenger (connecting to the second flight) could find him or herself sitting next to a passenger or passengers who may have originated from more or less anywhere.

This evening the president of Dubai’s CAA has tweeted that the UAE will be reopening its airports to connecting passengers.

We welcome the UAE authorities' decision to re-open UAE airports for all connecting travellers. @Emirates and flydubai will shortly announce the resumption of passenger flights to more cities with connections to, and through, Dubai. @DXB pic.twitter.com/3ZSnagAo29

— HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (@HHAhmedBinSaeed) June 3, 2020

[SimonS1]

[quote quote=999905]Today seems 6 or 7 flight arrivals from Doha into the UK, according to the LHR arrivals board.[/quote]

Actually there were 2.

I agree the Greece case doesn’t make good reading though. Presumably many people had transited through Doha from other places.

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=999907]Actually there were 2.[/quote]

QR – 9, 8856, 3, 8293, 8866 according to Flightaware/OAG. (into London)

[SimonS1]

[postquote quote=999909][/postquote]

8856, 8293, 8866 all cargo flights. What testing did you have in mind, hardly high risk stuff is it…..

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=999910]What testing did you have in mind, hardly high risk stuff is it…..[/quote]

Clearly you favour a continued no testing policy!

A random test of an ex Doha flight showing 13% of passengers infected and Heathrow has at least 5 arrivals at T2 yesterday.

Next week, ex Doha passengers on QATAR have the option of being flown in via Dublin (as published on the QATAR website), thereby avoiding the ineffective and weak quarantine rules the UK are implementing.

It is very noticeable how the countries taking a stricter border control (not necessarily a closed border), in some cases including the crews of cargo flights have suffered far less than the UK.

[quote quote=999907]Presumably many people had transited through Doha from other places[/quote]

It’s a pity transit passenger numbers cant be identified, (for the purpose of our discussion). Even if the flight was 100% filled with transit passengers, it makes the story just as worrying.

[nevereconomy]

The really interesting and most valid question is where had the 12 come from ? Maybe one of those countries that claims to not have much of an outbreak ?
Since Greece only just opened, were they citizens just getting back ?

[SimonS1]

[quote quote=999943]A random test of an ex Doha flight showing 13% of passengers infected and Heathrow has at least 5 arrivals at T2 yesterday.[/quote]

No Martyn. Heathrow had 2 Qatar arrivals at Terminal 2 yesterday. The other three flights beginning with 8 were all cargo flights. Cargo flights don’t arrive at T2, and they don’t carry passengers, so not really relevant here. There are 2 flights today too.

You are making a fair point, without creating stats that are untrue.

[quote quote=999943]It’s a pity transit passenger numbers cant be identified, (for the purpose of our discussion). Even if the flight was 100% filled with transit passengers, it makes the story just as worrying.[/quote]

I am agreeing with you. It isn’t good, particularly as they must have been in the airport during transit. Reports online that 2 of the 12 were Greeks from Australia and 9 were residents returning from Pakistan.

[Roa1]

I travel ultra-long haul routes two/three times per year, but the ramifications of discovering a passenger on my flight has a sore throat/temperature or is asymptomatic carrier of the virus is freaking me out. Imagine travelling LHR to SYD, whilst in transit in Singapore, during a routine “medical screening” (which is quite common), it’s found that passenger has a mild temperature/symptoms or is asymptomatic carrier of the virus – what is likely to happen;

1. Flight discontinued
2. Quarantined in Singapore indefinitely
3. Barred entry to Australia
4. Who is responsible for honouring flight interruption costs; accommodation, quarantine fees, food etc
5. Travel insurance become invalid

Is the risk worth it, or remain grounded until the coast is clear!

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=999972]No Martyn. Heathrow had 2 Qatar arrivals at Terminal 2 yesterday. The other three flights beginning with 8 were all cargo flights. Cargo flights don’t arrive at T2, and they don’t carry passengers, so not really relevant here. There are 2 flights today too.[/quote]

FYI – I used the data published by Flightaware and OAG, both clearly stated T2, hence why my original post did not differentiate cargo/passenger. As stated, other countries do quarantine both scheduled and cargo pilots for the full 14 days and no they are not allowed out for shopping (as one Fedex pilot found out recently, when he was jailed for 4 weeks in Singapore).

[SimonS1]

[postquote quote=999978][/postquote]

That is why many cargo airlines are carrying two crews. That way there is no need to enter the country and the operating crew on way out can ‘dead head’ on way back.

You original post states “Today seems 6 or 7 flight arrivals from Doha into the UK, according to the LHR arrivals board”….misleading, as there were not/are not 6 or 7 flights on the LHR arrivals board, and the discussion around the Athens incident was clearly about passenger traffic.

[AMcWhirter]

[quote quote=999966]The really interesting and most valid question is where had the 12 come from ? Maybe one of those countries that claims to not have much of an outbreak ?
Since Greece only just opened, were they citizens just getting back ?[/quote]

I don’t from where all 12 originated but the piece reported that at least two were members of Australia’s Greek community.

[AMcWhirter]

[quote quote=999972]4. Who is responsible for honouring flight interruption costs; accommodation, quarantine fees, food etc[/quote]

It varies depending on the country.

In the case of Tokyo NRT arrivals from COVID-19 nations are quarantined at the airport for at least 48 hours and must pay US$140 for the facilities offered (which are not that great).

Tokyo Narita arrivals sleeping in cardboard boxes

[SimonS1]

[postquote quote=999989][/postquote]

From Al Jazeera: “Among those who tested positive on Monday’s flight were nine Pakistani nationals who are residents in Greece, two Greeks from Australia and a member of a Greek-Japanese family”.

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