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The tourist appeal of Hong Kong, along with its business side, is under renewed assault, with a general strike causing the cancellation yesterday of more than 200 flights to and from the territory, throwing the travel plans of thousands of people into chaos.

The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions said that 2330 aviation workers joined Hong Kong’s citywide strike, which coincided with the height of the northern summer travel season. Chairwoman Carol Ng said the aviation sector was the first to join the strike, partially paralysing the airport.

The effects will run into today. At last report, Cathay Pacific and Dragon had cancelled 14 services today (Tuesday) with HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines delaying seven services each.

According to CNN, a breakdown of aviation workers on strike yesterday ran as follows:

  • About 30 air traffic controllers
  • 1200 Cathay Pacific staff (including cabin crew and pilots)
  • 600 Dragon Air staff
  • 200 Hong Kong Airlines staff
  • 300 ground operation staff from Jardine Aviation Services

Additionally, many air traffic controllers called in sick, forcing air traffic control to halve the minimum number of takeoffs per hour.

In the city, repeated demonstrations and protests, which started out as objections to a proposed extradition law that would allow criminal suspects to be tried in China, have broadened into widespread attacks on police.

A muzzle flash as police fire tear gas grenades

Demonstrations spread through Hong Kong yesterday. The strike hit commerce in one of Asia’s major financial hubs. Continued unrest is taking its toll. Hong Kong’s latest purchasing managers survey shows that private sector business activity in the territory has plummeted to its lowest level since the global financial crisis of 2008, Britain’s Financial Times reported.

Repeated pleas by Hong Kong’s government for a return to “business as usual” have fallen on deaf ears.

Hong Kong International Airport’s website listed 116 outbound flights and 97 inbound flights as cancelled yesterday morning. Many of the cancellations were by Cathay Pacific, some of whose workers were said to have joined a mass protest at Hong Kong’s airport a week ago. See: Army of protesters at airport shocks visitors to Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s metro system was hit by widespread delays and service interruptions.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advises:

“Large-scale demonstrations are continuing in parts of Hong Kong. The risk of confrontation between opposing groups of protestors and police or criminally-linked individuals is increasing, particularly at unauthorised protests. The risk is greater on weekends and in the evening. There is also less notice or predictability about where gatherings may occur or move. While we continue to advise Australians, to ‘exercise normal safety precautions’ in Hong Kong, we strongly recommend you avoid large public gatherings, monitor local media and follow the advice of local authorities.”

DFAT issued a separate advisory about yesterday’s strike.

The latest IHS Markit Hong Kong purchasing managers’ index survey, which measures private sector activity in the territory, has registered the sharpest fall since March 2009.

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam has warned that recent protests have pushed the city to the “verge of a very dangerous situation”.

“We continue to allow these violent protesters to make use of the [extradition] bill to conceal their ulterior motives,” Lam said. “Those ulterior motives are going to destroy Hong Kong.”

Some say Chinese troops, stationed in Hong Kong, could be called out to restore order. Most feel Beijing would be very reluctant to take that step and would do so only as a last resort.

Tourism is caught in the middle of it.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific will tomorrow release its financial results for the first half of 2019, according to the South China Morning Post.

Written by Peter Needham