Postal services to certain destinations suspended
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     In view of the substantial reduction in flight frequencies or even cancellation of flights to certain destinations by airlines, Hongkong Post announced today (March 27) that it was considered necessary to adjust air mail services to these destinations.

     At this critical moment, Hongkong Post still hopes to maintain its Speedpost services to major destinations by all means where possible, so as to facilitate the posting of urgent mail by the public. Notwithstanding this, even though Hongkong Post has completed the handling procedures after posting, as a result of substantial reduction in flight frequencies, the time required for handing in posted items to airlines is subject to considerable delays of more than two weeks.

     In respect of the service suspension of air mail to these major destinations, the public may consider using surface mail services instead. In this connection, Hongkong Post has requested service providers concerned to advance their shipping schedules or increase their frequencies of service to up to once per week. Members of the public may visit the Hongkong Post website at
www.hongkongpost.hk/en/preparation/posting/latest_dates/index.html and refer to the latest dates of posting for forthcoming surface despatches. Major destinations affected are set out below:
 
Destinations Service types available
Asia Japan, Korea Speedpost and
surface mail
Europe United Kingdom, Spain Speedpost and
surface mail
Ireland Surface mail
North America United States of America, Canada Speedpost and
surface mail
Oceania Australia, New Zealand Surface mail

     In addition, mail items to be sent to the following destinations are required to transit via the above destinations, therefore their air mail services will also be subject to impacts of varied degrees:
 
Destinations Service types suspended
Asia Timor-Leste Air mail (excluding Speedpost)
Korea, North Air parcel
Africa Gambia, Malawi Air parcel
Canary Islands, Spanish Territories of North Africa Air mail (excluding Speedpost)
Central and South America Falkland Islands, The Territory of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Air mail (excluding Speedpost)
Europe Guernsey, Isle of Man Air letter
Balearic Islands, Channel Islands Air mail (excluding Speedpost)
North America Cayman Islands, Haiti, St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis Air letter
Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent And The Grenadines, Turks & Caicos Islands Air parcel
Virgin Islands of the United States of America, Anguilla, Barbados, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Tortola Airmail
(except Speedpost)
Oceania Kiribati, Samoa (the United States of America Territory), Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Western Samoa Air letter
Wake Island Air parcel
Christmas Island (Indian Ocean), Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand Islands Territories, Norfolk Islands, Pitcairn Islands, Vanuatu (The Republic of)
 
Airmail
(except Speedpost)
 
     As advised respectively by the postal administration of France about its suspension of surface mail and the postal administration of India about its suspension of surface and air mail, postal services to and transit via these two destinations are also subject to impacts of varied degrees. The list of destinations affected is set out as follows:
 
Destinations Service types suspended
Asia India Airmail (including Speedpost)  and surface mail
Nepal All surface mail
Bhutan Surface parcel
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan Surface letter
Africa Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Monaco, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda (Rep.), Togo Surface letter
Comoros All surface mail
Central and South America Antigua And Barbuda, Haiti, Mauritania Surface letter
French West Indies (Guadeloupe), French West Indies (Martinique) All surface mail
Europe Andorra, Corsica, France All surface mail
Armenia Surface letter
Oceania Cape Verde, St. Pierre And Miquelon, Wallis And Futuna Islands Surface letter
 
     As the substantial reduction in flight frequencies continues, it is anticipated that air traffic capacity would not be able to resume stable in the near future. Members of the public may visit the Hongkong Post website and refer to the links
www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_898.html and www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_899.html for all the destinations and their respective services under influence.

Ends/Friday, March 27, 2020
Issued at HKT 22:13

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