Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble to start on May 26: MOT
Add BT as a preferred source
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
FROM May 26, travellers between Singapore and Hong Kong will not need to be quarantined upon arrival, provided the Covid-19 situation continues to be "steady and under control in both cities" in the meantime, said the Republic's Ministry of Transport (MOT) in a press statement on Monday.
More stringent conditions have been implemented under the new arrangement, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore in a separate press statement on the same day.
To qualify, travellers must have remained in either Singapore or Hong Kong in the last 14 days prior to departure. This 14-day period excludes any time spent in quarantine, or serving one's stay-home notice arising from his or her last overseas trip.
In addition, travellers departing from Singapore must download and install Hong Kong's LeaveHomeSafe app on their mobile device before leaving.
If the air travel bubble (ATB) has to be suspended should the seven-day moving average of unlinked community cases in either city increase to more than five, it can resume only when the Covid-19 situation has stabilised.
Apart from the above, other requirements remain the same as what had been announced back in November last year. These include travelling only on flights that have been explicitly designated for the ATB, and undergoing Covid-19 pre-departure and on-arrival tests.
Navigate Asia in
a new global order
Get the insights delivered to your inbox.
The designated flights are operated by Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Travellers may check with these airlines on which flights are eligible. For a start, there will be only one flight a day in each direction, capped at 200 passengers per flight for the first two weeks. The numbers will be reviewed thereafter.
Originally planned to start in November last year, the ATB was postponed with agreement from both sides due to the then-worsening Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong.
"I am happy that Hong Kong got the Covid-19 situation under control," said Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung. "It has been a long few months, but the conditions are now ripe again to re-launch the ATB.
"Both sides will need to stay very vigilant in the next one month, so that we can launch the first flights smoothly. It is a significant ATB between two aviation and financial services hubs in Asia," he added.
READ MORE:
- Singapore studying proposal from Hong Kong to re-open borders: Ong Ye Kung
- Hong Kong-Singapore air travel bubble to start on May 26: sources
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
TRENDING NOW
Shelving S$5 billion office redevelopment plan proved ‘wise’ as geopolitical risks mount: OCBC chairman
China pips the US if Asean is forced to choose, but analysts warn against reading it like a sports result
Beijing’s calculated silence on the Iran war
Middle East-linked energy supply shocks put Asean Power Grid back in focus
