Why animal owners in Hong Kong are hiring private planes for their pets
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But in 2022 Hong Kong, it's just as likely to be a regular person looking into this very unusual expense.
Many people who are moving away from the financial hub have been unable to secure flights out of the city for their dogs and cats, leading to online groups where desperate pet parents try to pool their money to cover the cost of renting a charter plane.
Hong Kong has some of the world's strictest COVID-19 policies. Nearly all non-residents are barred from entering the city, while locals who leave and then come back are subject to three-week quarantines, which can be in expensive hotels or at government quarantine facilities -- even if they test negative for the virus multiple times.
As a result, some 40 per cent of expats polled in 2021 said that they were considering leaving the city for good and permanently relocating themselves and their families elsewhere.
