Singapore and Hong Kong Launch Air Travel Bubble
The public health corridor is set to begin Nov. 22, with one flight each way between the two cities
Singapore and Hong Kong have formed an air travel bubble, according to an announcement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. The first Singapore to Hong Kong service is scheduled for Nov. 22 aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ 890, while Cathay Pacific will operate the HKG-SIN on flight CX759 the same day.
Initially the service will launch with one flight a day into each city. Each flight will be allowed 200 passengers. The frequency will be increased to two flights a day into each city beginning Dec. 7, with each flight allowed 200 travelers, said Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s minister for transport.
Passengers will still need to meet certain requirements before planning to travel in the bubble:
Travelers need to take a pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure and obtain a negative test result.
They also need to book and pay for the post-arrival COVID-19 PCR test required upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport. This needs to be done before they depart Singapore.
Passengers are not required to take another test when arriving in Singapore, however most foreign travelers are required to have a Singapore-issued Air Travel Pass.
Authorities warn that if the COVID-19 situation deteriorates in either city, the air travel bubble arrangement will be suspended.
“There will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel and no requirement for a controlled itinerary or sponsorship. But travelers must also meet the eligibility criteria and adhere to the prevailing border control measures and public health requirements of both cities,” said CAAS in a statement.
The Singapore-Hong Kong arrangement comes as the International Civil Aviation Organization has released updated “Take-off Guidelines” from its COVID-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force that includes new direction and tools to help countries develop more cross-border public health corridors, or travel bubbles.
For more information on the Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble requirements, click here.
