Singapore, Hong Kong to start air travel bubble Nov. 22

JAKARTA, Indonesia

Hong Kong and Singapore will start an air travel bubble from Nov. 22, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The scheme will start with one flight a day into each city with a quota of 200 travelers per flight.

“This will increase to two flights a day into each city from Dec. 7,” said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a statement released on Wednesday.

However, each traveler aged above 12 years must present a negative PCR test result within 72 hours before the departure time.

Those departing from Singapore will be asked to apply for approval to undergo their PCR test at least seven days before departure.

From Dec. 1, travelers will not be required to apply for approval to take the test.

Upon arrival, travelers will have to undergo a COVID-19 test at the Hong Kong International Airport and must stay there until they receive their negative test results.

Singaporean Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said the scheme would serve as a useful reference for other countries that have controlled the epidemic and are contemplating opening their borders.

So far, Singapore has reported 58,091 COVID-19 cases, including 57,985 recoveries and 28 fatalities.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong has registered 5,408 cases, including 5,159 recoveries and 108 deaths.

*Writing by Maria Elisa Hospita from Anadolu Agency's Indonesian language services in Jakarta