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The planned Air Travel Bubble (ATB) between Hong Kong and Singapore has once again been postponed.
This latest attempt at launching the ATB was scheduled to take off on May 26, but has been deferred due to the recent increase in COVID19 community cases in Singapore.
The ATB, which was first set to take off in November 2020, would have been operated by Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.
Singapore reported 28 new COVID19 cases on Monday, including 21 in the community of whom 10 are linked to previous cases and 11 are currently unlinked. Amongst them, 6 had already been placed in quarantine. The 7 other cases were imported.
Singapore and Hong Kong will now monitor the situation and decide on a new launch date of ATB flights towards the latter part of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) in Singapore, which ends on June 13
Travelers can still continue their journey on non-designated ATB flights. However, such travelers would be subject to the prevailing border control and health requirements of both places. Singapore residents returning from Hong Kong, for example, will be subject to a 7-day Stay-Home Notice upon entry into Singapore.
© Travel News Asia
3 Comments
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1glenn
The recent outbreak in India, where only about 3% of the population is fully vaccinated, shows that the rest of the unvaccinated world might undergo similar outbreaks. Except for places that are highly vaccinated, we are not nearly out of danger from this disease.
Kaerimashita
More evidence that the notion of somehow eliminating COVID or even controlling it in a way that won’t prompt restrictions or lockdowns is an illusion.
Hiroshi13
The rest of the free world is beginning to resume somewhat normal tourist travel exchanges between countries with highly-vaccinated populations. Meanwhile, the only "plan" many Asian countries have (esp. in SE Asia) is 1. no tourist travel or 2. highly restrictive, essential-only travel with quarantine requirements on both ends. Neither of these options are going to be sustainable for much longer without a complete collapse of the travel and tourism industries.