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SINGAPORE: The launch of an air transport bubble with Hong Kong can be launched “when conditions are right,” Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Friday (March 5).
The long-awaited air travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore was originally scheduled to begin on November 22 last year, but was later called off due to an increase in cases in Hong Kong.
The agreement would have allowed residents to travel between the two cities subject only to COVID-19 testing, without the need for quarantine or isolation.
“We will not give up on the idea,” said Mr. Ong during the debate of the Supply Committee of the Ministry of Transport.
READ: Singapore and Hong Kong to postpone launch of air travel bubble
The aviation sector has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and border restrictions imposed by governments around the world.
For the industry to recover, quarantine and stay-at-home (SHN) notices must be replaced by other methods that can also “substantially mitigate” the risk of coronavirus transmission, Ong said.
He listed several examples, including testing for COVID-19 and placing travelers in a “bubble wrap,” where they are subject to a narrow itinerary and placed in restricted facilities far from the community.
READ: Singapore opens Connect @ Changi facility, allowing business visitors to gather without serving quarantine
Another idea is to recognize that travelers from certain places that have successfully controlled the virus are safe, he said.
“This is why we unilaterally open our borders to places like Australia, New Zealand, Brunei and China,” he said, noting that this has not led to an increase in local transmission.
“If other places correspond to what we do, we have an air transport bubble (ATB),” he added.
“We have yet to launch a successful ATB. We were close, but we couldn’t. But now we have a text agreed with Hong Kong, and the ATB can be launched when the conditions are right, “he said.
Vaccines
COVID-19 vaccines are also a “critical new development” that can help revive aviation, Mr. Ong said.
“As more scientific data becomes available, we will be able to determine to what extent vaccination reduces the likelihood that someone will carry the virus and it will be transmitted from another person. This will allow us to allow vaccinated people to travel with fewer restrictions, perhaps even without SHN, ”said Mr. Ong.
He noted that this will require a certification system, adding that Singapore has been active in discussions on the issue both bilaterally and on international platforms such as the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Front-line workers in the aviation and maritime sectors have been “substantially vaccinated,” and 85 percent have received both doses of the vaccine, he said.
READ: Singapore Develops New Standard for Cross-Border Verification of COVID-19 Test Results
The different methods of safe reopening of trips should not work in isolation, Mr. Ong said.
“For example, an ATB is a combination of identifying safe locations and imposing testing requirements,” he said.
“I see the ATBs playing a key role in the safe opening this year. Because as vaccines reduce infections around the world, more countries will be prepared to fake ATB, “he added.
“We can also identify places with low to moderate infection rates and combine vaccination and testing, including bubble wrap trips, to open up travel corridors.
“We will do our best to make these agreements bilateral so that Singaporeans can also travel abroad.”
READ: COVID-19: What’s Stopping Countries From Lifting Border Restrictions on Singapore Travelers?
RECOVERY
Passenger volume at Changi Airport is now at 2.5 percent of its pre-pandemic level, compared to 0.5 percent when COVID-19 first struck, Ong said.
“Flight movements are looking better, at a quarter of pre-COVID-19 levels. This is largely due to a greater number of cargo flights, ”he said.
Changi Airport is now connected to 66 cities around the world, compared to 160 cities before the pandemic, he added, noting that it is expected to grow to around 80 cities in the coming months.
The aviation sector lost about 6,000 jobs as of the third quarter of last year, according to the Labor Market Survey, it said.
Of these, about 500 were staff cuts, while the rest were for early retirement and non-renewal of contracts, he said, adding that non-residents took the “vast majority” of the reduction.
While it is unrealistic to expect a “V-shaped” recovery for aviation, the availability of vaccines, as well as the understanding of world governments that borders cannot be perpetually closed, will lead to the reopening of some borders and ” some recovery ”this year, Mr. Ong said.
“Our mission this year is not so much to force this strong recovery of the aviation sector, but to adapt to a new normal, reopen safely, build trust, test viable concepts and strengthen the belief that Changi Airport will continue to be a hub. post-COVID-19 international airfare “.
NEW RAILWAY FINANCING FRAMEWORK
Mr. Ong also addressed the financial sustainability of Singapore’s ground transportation system.
The train fares are not enough to cover operating costs, such as labor and electricity, as well as the maintenance and renovation of operating assets, such as signaling systems, he said.
The government subsidizes rail operations to the tune of S $ 1 billion per year, with a similar amount spent on subsidizing public buses here, Mr. Ong said.
The taxpayer bill cannot continue to increase, to avoid leaving future generations with a growing financial burden, he said.
He noted that the MRT system had moved to the New Rail Financing Framework (NRFF) in 2016, where the Government assumes ownership and replacement of operating assets.
Downtown Line operates in the first iteration of the NRFF, where operators pay a flat rate. This is not ideal as operators bear “significant business risk”, bearing losses if operating costs exceed fee income.
On the North-South, East-West, Northeast and Circle lines, this model was adjusted to reduce commercial volatility, and the government cushioned the blow in case of “big losses,” Ong said.
For the Thomson-East Coast line, the government collects all fare revenues, assumes all revenue risks, and awards the operator a fee to operate the line during the initial period when the number of passengers is unstable.
This arrangement will return to the second model once passenger numbers stabilize, Ong said.
“So, recognizing that the NRFF has evolved over the years, we will review our arrangement for the Downtown Line, as it is still in version one of the NRFF, and this will be done with a view to ensuring that the operator operates the line. reliably with high productivity and that the line is sustainable, “he said.
