SINGAPORE – Singapore and Hong Kong today agreed to set May 26 as the launch date for their air travel bubble (ATB).
Originally slated for November last year, it was deferred by both parties due to the worsening Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong.
At a virtual press conference today, Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said he was happy that the Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong is under control.
Ong noted that relaunch date was announced a month prior, among others, to allow the industry as well as potential travellers to prepare.
The minister said that both sides will need to stay vigilant in the next month so that both parties can launch the first flights smoothly.
“It is a significant ATB between two aviation and financial services hubs in Asia,” he said.
Since the deferment, the republic’s Transport Ministry said both parties have reviewed the arrangements and made several improvements to the agreement.
“This includes stricter conditions for resumption of the ATB, should it be suspended due to new Covid-19 community clusters in either cities,” it said.
The Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong has improved, with very few local cases in the past few weeks.
“Community cases in Singapore remained very low throughout the time. The risk profiles of both cities are, therefore, now similar,” it said.
Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines (SIA) welcomed the decision to start the ATB arrangement on May 26.
“This is an important milestone in our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and helps to establish confidence in the safe resumption of international air travel with the necessary protocols in place,” it said in a statement.
SIA said it strongly support all efforts to open the Singapore air hub up in a safe and calibrated manner.
“We will continue to be nimble and flexible in adjusting our capacity to meet the demand for air travel,” it said.
The inaugural SIA ATB flight from Singapore to Hong Kong, SQ882, will depart on May 26 while inaugural SIA ATB flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, SQ883, will depart on May 28, it said. – Bernama, April 26, 2021
