SIA can be world's first vaccinated international airline: Ong Ye Kung

Singapore

SINGAPORE Airlines can be the first vaccinated international airline of the world, as an exercise gets under way in the Republic to inoculate some 37,000 aviation and maritime frontline workers against the novel coronavirus.

Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung told the media on Monday at a vaccination centre for aviation frontliners that the exercise is a very important step towards reviving Singapore's air hub, which has been sent into deep freeze by the pandemic since last March.

When a substantial number of workers in the aviation and maritime sectors are inoculated - likely to be in less than two months - those who come through Singapore will know that the city-state is safe and its people are united and cohesive. "This adds a lot to our international branding," said Mr Ong.

Singapore Airlines can be the first vaccinated international airline of the world, he added.

SIA chief Goh Choon Phong, in an internal memo on Monday, strongly urged staff to take up the option and be vaccinated early. He said vaccinations will offer greater protection for frontline staff who regularly come into contact with external parties, and also provide greater assurance to their families.

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He was among those who were inoculated on Monday - alongside the minister - and one of the more than 5,200 staff members who have signed up for vaccinations since the first call went out last week.

"Vaccinations are widely expected to be the game-changer in facilitating the opening of borders once again. Being directly involved in the transportation of people and essential goods around the world, our business - and indeed our survival - ultimately depends on open borders. It will set the SIA group up for a quicker recovery from this debilitating crisis, and provide a platform for us to return to pre-Covid operations," he added.

The company's air crew and flight operations staff have already attended some information sessions where they heard from medical professionals. Such sessions have been lined up for others who have not attended.

The vaccination centres for aviation and maritime workers, located respectively at Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Raffles City Convention Centre, each have a daily capacity for 2,000 and 1,000 people for now.

However, the capacity can be ramped up to 8,000 vaccinations per day for these two major vaccination centres. There are enough doses for the frontline workers in the two sectors, and the capacity would allow the majority of them to be vaccinated in less than two months.

Priority will be given to the 20,000 frontline workers who may come into contact with travellers from high risk countries, as well as their belongings, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a statement. Some 7,000 aviation workers are scheduled to be vaccinated this week.

Air crew and airport workers who have completed their full course of vaccination will undergo fewer testing requirements, CAAS added.

As for the air travel bubble with Hong Kong that has been suspended since last November, Mr Ong said he would rather not set a target on when it can resume. He said the agreement has already been in place, so it can be activated anytime.

He also said that Singapore continues to explore such quarantine-free travel arrangements with other places.