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Action plan:  Under Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok says Cathay Pacific will operate three additional flights, one daily from December 21 to 23, to bring home Hong Kong students stranded at Heathrow Airport.

Immigration

The Immigration Department controls the movement of people into and out of Hong Kong. It also issues HKSAR passports and other travel documents, visas and identity cards, and handles nationality matters and the registration of births, deaths and marriages.

Extra flights to return stranded students

December 21, 2010

Under Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok says Cathay Pacific will operate three additional flights, one daily from December 21 to 23, to bring home Hong Kong students stranded at Heathrow Airport. However, the airline has not yet decided which airports the flights will depart from due to the unstable weather conditions.

 

The flights will offer 1,000 seats, which he said should cover the student backlog. Students holding other airline tickets can also take these flights and they will be charged when they return to Hong Kong.

 

Mr Lai said eight Immigration Officers have arrived at Heathrow to assist Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (London) staff in helping the students.

 

Since December 17 the Immigration Department has received 426 calls for assistance, mostly asking for an early return to Hong Kong. Thirteen involved people feeling unwell. They will be returned to Hong Kong as soon as possible.



On-site help

The office has worked with Cathay Pacific to provide temporary shelter to more than 400 stranded students - mostly secondary students - in a multifunctional room at a hotel near the airport. On-site doctors will take care of ill students.

 

The airline has registered students’ particulars and priority boarding will be given to minors and unaccompanied students.

 

“Proper arrangements have been made for the stranded students at the hotel and parents do not have to worry about their personal safety.”

 

Safety advice

He urged parents to tell their children to stay at safe places and not depart for airports unless they have confirmed their flights. They should monitor local government and airline information. If they have accommodation problems they should call 1868 and the support team in London will assist.

 

As the snowstorm may continue, causing more flight delays or cancellations, parents should ask their children to postpone their trip to Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific will offer refunds and fee exemptions for customers who change their flights.

 

"The Government and airline companies will closely monitor and assess the situation. When airport services resume and airport operation permits, airline companies will increase their flights to bring stranded students back to Hong Kong. If necessary the Government will arrange chartered flights."

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