(TAN): Hong Kong and Singapore have announced to start an air travel bubble from November 22. This will replace the quarantine requirement with Covid-19 testing, officials said in separate media briefings.
There will be several flights a week on Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways from that date, rising to daily from December 7. A maximum of 200 people will be permitted on each flight and details of the arrangement, released nearly a month after the two Asian hubs first announced they would reopen their borders to one another, will be reviewed after one month.
Singapore Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung said at a news briefing that this was the first travel bubble of its type and may be used as a template for other countries, if successful. The travel bubble will help ensure a brighter future for the city-state’s Changi Airport and Singapore Airlines, he said.
[ALSO READ: China’s ‘ice city’ announces subsidy to boost tourism ahead of winter season]
Travel bubbles are seen as key to reopening borders before an effective vaccine is rolled out. But they’ve been hard to put into practice as the coronavirus cases continue to rise again in different parts of the world. Cases globally have surpassed 51 million while deaths are nearing 1.3 million, reports said.
Even the Singapore-Hong Kong arrangement comes with a long list of requirements and some restrictions. Ong said the waiting time for a Covid test would likely be about four hours and fares would be a commercial decision for the two airlines.
[ALSO READ: Virgin Atlantic expands Caribbean flying with new service to St Vincent]
As per media reports, for flying on the travel bubble between the two cities, Coronavirus test has to be taken within 72 hours prior to departure and applications for travel approval should be done online at least seven days ahead of time. If the travellers become Covid positive in either city, they would have to bear the full cost of any medical treatment provided to them.
Having brought their Covid-19 outbreaks largely under control, Hong Kong and Singapore are eager to open their borders and get their economies back to life. Hong Kong’s total reported infections stand at 5,389, while Singapore’s tally is just over 58,000.
[ALSO READ: Odisha to host Eco Retreat Festival from December 1]
Opening borders is also important for flag carriers Singapore Airlines and Cathay. They have been reduced to flying at just skeleton capacity because they have no domestic market. Last year, the Hong Kong-Singapore route was the 10th busiest internationally in Asia, according to OAG. Both airlines have suffered record losses this year.
Ticket prices have risen in anticipation of the Hong Kong-Singapore bubble. The lowest fares on Singapore Airlines economy class rose to SGD 678 (USD 500) for return flights in December, up from SGD 557 (USD 413) earlier this month, according to the carrier’s website.
Related posts:
Cathay Pacific set for Hong Kong-Singapore air travel bubble
Hong Kong-Singapore reciprocal travel bubble takes off
Singapore to establish “travel bubbles” for essential travel with countries where COVID-19 is under control
Coronavirus: India’s travel bubbles likely to continue till April next year, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri says
