Singapore Airlines is adding more flights from Australia under the Vaccine Travel Lane scheme. Vaccinated passengers from Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth will be able to forego quarantine when arriving in the city-state from early 2022. Meanwhile, the Singapore authorities say they are monitoring the global health situation closely.
Even as Europe is re-shutting some of its doors due to concerns over new variants of coronavirus, other places in the world continue to open up, with routes being reinstated in the process.
At the beginning of the month, vaccinated Australians were once again allowed to come and go. While there may be some time yet before international travelers are allowed back in, airlines have increased capacity to Australian destinations.
Singapore Airlines added Sydney and Melbourne to its quarantine-exempt Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services from November 8th. Shortly, the turn will come to Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth.
VTL regulations
VTL flights to Adelaide and Brisbane will commence on January 15th and to Perth on March 1st. Singapore’s travel lane program means that vaccinated travelers to Singapore can forego quarantine.
However, they have to provide a negative PCR test result no older than 48 hours prior to their departing flight. They must then take a second PCR test upon arrival at Changi Airport and isolate themselves in a hotel room for up to 12 hours while waiting for the results.
Travelers must also apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass no less than seven days before arrival and hold a medical insurance policy that will cover expenses up to SGD$30,000 ($22,000) for care due to COVID-19.
A350s and B787s
According to Executive Traveler, Singapore Airlines will operate flights SQ278 and SQ276 from Adelaide to Singapore as VTL services. From Brisbane to Singapore, it will be SQ236, SQ246, and SQ256. Both services will see an Airbus A350. A Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner will instead operate VTL flights SQ214, SQ216, and SQ224 from Perth. Both aircraft feature Singapore Airlines’ lie-flat business seats.
On Friday, Singapore also launched VTL schemes with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. This brings the total of countries with which Singapore has reopened for quarantine-free travel up to 27. Before the pandemic, travelers from those 27 countries accounted for 60% of arrivals to Changi Airport.
Meanwhile, things may change rapidly, as we have come to expect over the past year. During a virtual press conference on Friday, Singapore’s Transport Minister, S. Iswaran, stated that the border situation was under continuous observation from the authorities.
“Even as we continue to reopen our borders to secure Singapore’s position as a global business and aviation hub, we will closely monitor the global public health situation, especially for the emergence of any new variants of concern, and impose additional safeguards as necessary,” Mr Iswaran added, as quoted by Channel News Asia.
Have you or anyone you know traveled on a Singapore Airlines VTL flight? Please share a comment below and tell us about your experience.
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