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SINGAPORE: Customers who no longer wish to travel between Singapore and Hong Kong due to the postponement of the air transport bubble can request a full refund of the “unused portion” of their ticket and cancellation fees will not apply, to Singapore Airlines (SIA) the spokesperson said on Saturday (November 21).
The launch of the air travel bubble, which was supposed to be on Sunday, was postponed two weeks after an increase in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong.
The postponement was announced by Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung in a Facebook post on Saturday after he held talks with Hong Kong’s Secretary for Trade and Economic Development Edward Yau.
READ: Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble Launch Postponed for 2 Weeks Following Rise in Hong Kong COVID-19 Cases
“Singapore Airlines supports the decision of the authorities of Singapore and Hong Kong to postpone the launch of the bubble of air travel,” said SIA spokesman.
“The health and safety of our customers remain our top priority. Affected customers are being contacted by Singapore Airlines. “
The flights under the air travel bubble were special flights operated by SIA and Cathay Pacific.
SIA said on Saturday that its flights between Singapore and Hong Kong (SQ890 and SQ891) from November 22 to December 6, both dates inclusive, will now operate as bubble flights without air travel, SIA said.
“Customers should ensure compliance with respective input requirements and adhere to the quarantine upon arrival,” said the airline.
RELEASE DATE TO BE REVIEWED
“Given the evolving situation in Hong Kong, (Mr.) Yau and I discussed further this afternoon and decided that it would be better to postpone the launch of the air travel bubble by two weeks,” Ong said in his Facebook post. .
“We will review the new release date in two weeks and update it again.”
Mr Yau added: “In light of the recent increase in local cases, we have decided, together with the Singapore government, to postpone the launch of the air travel bubble for two weeks.”
On Saturday, Hong Kong reported 43 new cases of COVID-19, 36 of which were transmitted locally. Thirteen of Saturday’s cases were from unknown sources of transmission.
The city had reported 26 new COVID-19 infections on Friday.
A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Food and Health Office added: “The number of confirmed local cases with unknown sources of infection has been increasing recently, indicating the existence of silent chains of transmission in the community.”
Hong Kong has seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, a situation that the city’s Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan on Friday described as “serious.”
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