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SINGAPORE – The Singapore-Hong Kong (ATB) air travel bubble is the first of its kind in the region, perhaps the world, and that’s significant, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Wednesday (Nov 11) .
In a virtual press conference, he said: “It is an air travel bubble between two regional aviation centers that decide to open up to each other, and that is significant. There are no restrictions on what type of travelers, so it is quite different from RGL (Reciprocal Green Lane), which is restricted to business travelers. This covers all travelers: couples joining, couples joining, families visiting, tourism, etc. “
According to the ATB, which begins on November 22, travelers between Singapore and Hong Kong will be subject to COVID-19 testing, rather than quarantine or the Stay-at-Home Notice. There will be no restrictions on the purpose of the trip and there will be no requirements for a controlled itinerary or sponsorship, but travelers must bear the cost of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.
It will begin with a daily flight to each city, with 200 passengers each way. Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airlines, the respective flagship airlines for each city, will take turns flying on alternate days.
Ong emphasized that the ATB is not only the first step in rebuilding the respective aviation hubs, but that “in the case of Singapore, it’s not just about the aviation or tourism sector, it’s about making sure there is a future. for Changi, there is a future for SIA ”.
When asked why the two parties had chosen to go directly to the ATB rather than start with an RGL, Ong said it was due to the two cities’ familiarity with each other as aviation hubs, and the recognition that the respective Airports and airlines are “critical to our survival.” The Republic was also responding to the territory’s invitation to various countries to establish an ATB
“And from day one, I think we did not beat around the bush, to say that we go through the air transport bubble, instead of doing it step by step. So it’s really a meeting of minds. “
Ong added that if successful, the ATB will be a good reference point for others.
“If we can show the world that this is successful, it becomes a good point of reference, a template and a model that other places, other territories and countries can look to as a reference point. There are quite a few places where they have controlled the virus and the epidemic very successfully, like Hong Kong and Singapore, and they are considering how to open their borders and I hope this can be a template and a point of reference for them. “
A six hour wait in Hong Kong?
Under ATB agreements, travelers from Singapore to the territory must be tested for coronavirus within 72 hours of departure, then take another test upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). They should also wait at HKIA for their test results.
When asked how long the process would take, the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Kevin Shum, said it would probably take “less than six hours”. Ong expressed hope that it would take four hours and that drinks and services would be provided.
Acknowledging the “hassles and inconveniences” of the process, the Minister said, however, “This is the closest thing to traveling before COVID, in the sense that wherever you are now, on the Hong Kong or Singapore side, you don’t. you need someone to sponsor you, to tell you that you can travel, or you need a special reason, then you can travel. Now the empowerment has changed again … you can travel if you want. “
Ong admitted that he was unsure of the travelers’ response to the plan and estimated that they would take a wait-and-see approach first. “I want to see if I can send the first batch of Singaporeans on November 22. It can be a half-empty or half-empty plane, or a full plane, “Ong said, adding that he expects airlines to be” responsible “in their prices, given the pent-up demand for travel.
ATB suspension?
There are also provisions in place if there is a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in either party. If the average number of unlinked cases per day over a seven-day period increases to more than five in Singapore or Hong Kong, the ATB will be suspended for two weeks. The ATB will resume if the number falls below five on the last day of the suspension period.
When asked what would happen to those who have already booked flights and tests if the ATB is effectively suspended, Ong’s response was optimistic. “We did not set up the ATB or ATP system with the expectation that we would one day discontinue it. We’re working really hard to make sure we don’t have to suspend it, but this is only in case there are clusters again. “
However, there will be procedures for travelers to postpone their plans until the ATB is restarted, Ong said.
The 50-year-old said that in the early days of the pandemic, the priority was to eradicate the virus from the community, and this required the closing of borders. “But now, if that is still our problem statement, that in itself is a problem, because it means that there is a great possibility that at the end of all this, we do not have Changi airport and we do not have SIA.”
He added: “It’s not about the economy, it’s about our life… So our choice now is, can we accept any controlled risk that we can mitigate to a very small extent? And we take some of those risks, but we give ourselves the best chance … to continue maintaining our lifestyle. “
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