The vast majority of our flights arrive and depart on time.

On the very few occasions where flights are delayed whilst passengers are on board (known as a tarmac delay) we will take all reasonable steps to ensure you are made as comfortable as possible. We ask you to help us achieve this by ensuring you carry with you in your hand baggage, where restrictions allow, any essential medication, baby food and other provisions as well as specific or individual dietary items as we are unable to provide these items and/or unable to distribute them during a tarmac delay.

 

Tarmac Delay contingency plan for flights departing from, or arriving into a Chinese airport.

For those flights encountering a tarmac delay at Chinese airports in accordance with the Chinese Ministry of Transport “Flight Regularity Administrative Regulations” we want to give our passengers the following assurances.

 

1) We will not permit our aircraft to remain on the tarmac at a Chinese airport for more than three hours without a definite take off time, before arranging for passengers to disembark, unless there is a safety-related and/or security-related reason why the aircraft cannot leave its position on the tarmac to deplane passengers.

The opportunity to disembark can only be authorised by our pilot in command after the scheduled departure time taking into consideration the safety and security of other passengers, the crew and the aircraft and any directions issued by air traffic control.

As an international carrier the disembarkation of any passenger once their bags have been loaded will result in a security search of the cabin they were originally seated in and the offloading of all their hold baggage. Passengers wishing to disembark after a 3 hour tarmac delay should be aware that they do so at their own risk and there is no guarantee they will be able to re-board once their bags have been removed and the cabin searched before the aircraft departs.

Passengers holding a non-refundable ticket will not be entitled to a refund, and regardless of ticket type passengers who choose to disembark and subsequently miss their flight will NOT be entitled to the protections offered under EU regulation 261/2004 including the right to rebooking or overnight accommodation, refreshments and ground transport.

Full information allowing passengers to make an informed choice before making the decision to disembark the aircraft, will be available from our cabin crew or airport staff.

 

2) In the event of a tarmac delay at a Chinese airport, we will provide adequate* food and drinking water no later than two hours after the aircraft leaves the gate (in the case of a departure) or touches down (in the case of an arrival) unless:

Our pilot-in-command determines that safety or security considerations preclude such service.

*In most cases adequate food is considered to be snack type items such as granola/cereal bars or pretzels or biscuits.

 

3) We will ensure operable lavatory facilities are available while the aircraft remains on the tarmac.

 

4) We will issue notifications regarding the status of the delay every 30 minutes while the aircraft is delayed, including the reasons for the tarmac delay, if known.

 

7) We have co-ordinated our response plan for tarmac delays with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Airport, Customs, Immigration and Security authorities.

 

8) If you are on a code share flight the Tarmac Contingency Plan of the Operating airline will govern your flight.