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SINGAPORE: Singapore and Hong Kong have reached an agreement in principle to establish a bilateral air transport bubble, which will exempt travelers from quarantines or notices to stay at home.
Those traveling under the bubble will have no restrictions on their travel purpose and will not need to have a controlled itinerary, the Transport Ministry (MOT) said in a press release on Thursday (October 15).
Travelers will also not be subject to quarantine requirements or stay-at-home notice.
However, travelers will need to test negative on mutually recognized COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
They will also be required to fly dedicated flights to those traveling under the bubble.
WATCH Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung’s announcement on the deal:
The air travel bubble, MOT said, can be “scaled by adjusting the number of dedicated flights up or down, or even suspended, in accordance with the latest developments and the COVID-19 situation in the two cities.”
“Our two cities have a low incidence of COVID-19 cases and have put in place robust mechanisms to manage and control COVID-19,” said Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung.
“This has given us the confidence to progressively open our borders to each other.”
“It is significant that our two regional aviation centers have decided to collaborate to establish an air travel bubble. It is a safe, thoughtful but significant step forward in reviving air travel and providing a model for future collaboration with other parts of the world.” added.
MOT said that “with a view to achieving early implementation”, both Singapore and Hong Kong are “committed to developing all the details” of the air transport bubble “in the coming weeks.”
The launch date of the air transport bubble and other implementation details will be announced in due course, the ministry said.
Last week, Ong said in a ministerial statement issued in Parliament that Singapore is seeking air travel bubbles with safe countries and regions, in addition to other measures such as unilaterally lifting border restrictions as part of the country’s plans to reactivate its air hub. .
These air travel bubbles are for general travelers who do not require a controlled itinerary.
They are different from the reciprocal green lanes intended for official and essential business travel.
“While we should establish (air transport bubbles) only with safe countries and regions, we can further manage risks by setting a quota on the number of travelers per day and ensuring that everyone complies with COVID-19 testing protocols,” there was said the minister. .
“We also require travelers to apply for an air transport pass before their trips, to allow us to plan their arrivals and reduce the number, reduce the fee, if the epidemic situation changes.”
In his speech, he mentioned Hong Kong as one of the partners that Singapore hopes to initiate discussions on establishing air transport bubble deals.
Earlier this week, Hong Kong was added to the list of “low risk” places where travelers entering Singapore can receive a shorter stay-at-home notice of just seven days.
The Oct. 12 update from the Health Ministry said travelers can also deliver the stay-at-home notice at their place of residence, rather than at a designated facility.
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