SINGAPORE, 21 October 2020: Singapore and Hong Kong’s ‘in-principle agreement’ to establish a bilateral air travel bubble (ATB) will be relevant to all travellers including those booking leisure trips, but the launch date has yet to be confirmed.
Described as a milestone arrangement, it should help to revive cross-border air travel between the two aviation hubs, in what the ministry of transport said would be a “safe and progressive” environment.
Both cities are major aviation hubs, and the international air route between the two cities was among the busiest in the Asia-Pacific region pre-Covid-19.
The ‘in-principle agreement’ was reached during a videoconference on 14 October between the Singapore Minister for Transport, Ong Ye Kung and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Edward Yau.
Air Travel Bubble features
There are no restrictions on travel purpose.
Travellers will be subject to mutually recognised Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and would need to have negative test results.
Travellers will not be subject to quarantine, stay-home notices, or controlled itineraries.
Travellers must book dedicated flights, serving only ATB travellers. (No transit passengers or non-ATB travellers.)
Coming soon
“Both our cities have a low incidence of Covid-19 cases and have put in place robust mechanisms to manage and control Covid-19,” Ong said. “It is a safe, careful, but significant step forward to revive air travel, and provide a model for future collaboration with other parts of the world.”
As for today’s status on the ATB progress, both governments say they are committed to fleshing out the details “in the coming weeks… The launch date and other implementation details will be announced in due course.”
