Singapore extends VTLs to Malaysia, Sweden, Finland
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Malaysia Airlines planes are seen parked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang, on September 7, 2020.
AFP | AFP | Getty Images
SINGAPORE — Quarantine-free travel between Singapore and neighboring Malaysia will start from Nov. 29 for vaccinated travelers, the two countries announced Monday.
In Singapore’s so called “vaccinated travel lane” program, Finland and Sweden are also included starting Nov. 29, according to a separate press release.
Inoculated travellers from these countries can now undergo Covid-19 testing to confirm they have not been infected by the coronavirus, instead of being quarantined.
Singapore and Malaysia’s prime ministers said in a joint statementCovid borders restrictions led to families being separated for months in both countries.
The leaders stated that it was time to resume cross-border travel between the countries in a more safe way.
Singapore has already launched vaccinated travel lanesWith at least 12 countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom. This city-state will begin its joint vaccinated travel lane arrangements with South KoreaOn Nov.
“We are also in talks with our ASEAN neighbours to reconnect with them and we will make additional announcements when they are ready,” S. Iswaran, Transport Minister, told journalists Monday at a virtual briefing. “We also have discussions with our Middle East and Asia Pacific partners.”
Only the Singapore Changi Airport will be able to operate the travel lane between Malaysia and Malaysia.
The travel industry was thriving before the pandemic. air route between Singapore and Kuala LumpurOne of the most important international flights was.
Travelers who travel across the borders of Southeast Asian countries will be denied quarantine-free travel.
Both nations look forward to the restoration of travel over the land links in the “near future”, the statement stated, noting that “good progress has been made in ongoing detailed negotiations” to reopen land borders.
Singapore has currently allocated a daily quota of 4,000 travelers to cater to arrivals from the 13 VTL countries including South Korea, Iswaran said.
The minister stated, “We will raise this to 6,000 when our VTL launches to Malaysian, Finland and Sweden,” adding that the figure is “about 8%” of daily Changi pre-Covid arrivals.
The VTLs have created a positive upward trend in passenger traffic. “We expect that this momentum will continue to grow in the future as we expand the VTL to further countries and recover public confidence in aviation travel,” he stated.
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