Singapore is making several moves to try to salvage its status as a key aviation hub in Asia, according to Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung, who told the country’s parliament on Tuesday (6 October) the government will continue to negotiate for “travel bubbles” with other countries and a dedicated COVID-19 testing centre will be set up at the award-winning Changi Airport.
The minister also revealed that Changi Airport is now serving just 1.5 percent of its usual passenger volume and 17 percent of the total number of flights and has fallen to be the 58th busiest airport for passenger traffic, down from the seventh, and has direct flights to just 49 cities in the world. The minister said global travel restrictions have caused a “deep crisis” for operator Changi Airport Group (CAG) and national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Ong said the risks posed by any new “travel bubbles” can be managed by imposing a quota on the number of daily travellers and ensuring everyone gets tested for COVID-19, he said. Travellers will have to apply for Air Travel Passes before their journeys, to allow Singapore to plan for their arrivals and throttle down the numbers if the epidemic situation changes, Ong said. So far, Singapore has concluded travel arrangements with Brunei, China, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea.
Ong told parliament that since June, about 27,000 passengers transferred safely through Singapore, and there are now about 2,500 transfer passengers weekly. “We expect the numbers to rise steadily… We have put in place robust safeguards and no Singaporean has become ill as a result of these transfers,” he said, adding Singapore should be ready to lift its border restrictions to countries and regions that are deemed safe.
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat also told Parliament on Monday that “we must re-establish our position by reopening our borders gradually, positioning Singapore as a safe destination, levelling up capabilities, and refreshing our infrastructure.”
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