Changi airport gearing up, Asia shifts to “living with COVID”
Singapore’s Changi airport is gearing up to receive more passengers as the city-state eases travel and other COVID-19 restrictions, amid it hopes will see a return to pre-pandemic levels of traffic.
Fully vaccinated travellers from all countries can enjoy quarantine-free travel1 into Singapore on any flight for any purpose, including leisure travel, without any on-arrival test.
In line with the Singapore government’s announcement to simplify the travel protocols for entry into the country, Singapore Airlines will no longer designate Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights from 1 April 2022. Existing customers who are currently booked on a VTL flight on or after 1 April 2022 may travel as planned, with no changes required to be made to their booking.
All travellers must still take a pre-departure test and meet prevailing visa requirements to enter Singapore. Short-term visitors must also purchase travel insurance with a minimum coverage of $30,000 for Covid-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs, prior to travel to Singapore.
With nearly 7,500 flights a week in March, 2019 and 68 million passengers in that year, Changi was one of the world’s busiest airports before the pandemic, and has been named the world’s best airport at least eight times, according to Skytrax, an airport review agency.
But like the travel industry as a whole, Changi was hit hard by the pandemic, with passenger volume dropping to as low as 1.5% of its usual numbers.
Singapore had tight border controls in place for much of 2020 and 2021. Last week it announced it was dropping quarantine and a COVID travel pass requirement for fully vaccinated travellers from April 1.
Singapore said on Thursday that it will lift quarantine requirements for all vaccinated travellers from next month, joining a string of countries in Asia moving more firmly toward a “living with the virus” approach.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the financial hub will also drop requirements to wear masks outdoors and allow larger groups to gather.
“Our fight against COVID-19 has reached a major turning point,” Lee said in a televised speech that was also streamed on Facebook. “We will be making a decisive move towards living with COVID-19.”
Singapore was one of the first countries to shift from a containment strategy to new COVID normal for its 5.5 million population, but had to slow some of its easing plans due to subsequent outbreaks.
Now, as infection surges caused by the Omicron variant begin to subside in most countries in the region and vaccination rates improve, Singapore and other nations are removing a host of social distancing measures designed to stop the spread of the virus.
The Southeast Asian country of 5.5 million aims to recover air passenger volume to half of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022, the government has said.
That includes easing strict rules on movement within the airport and allowing travellers to use the terminals’ facilities, services, shops and restaurants.
The government has also committed S$500 million ($369.66 million) to support aviation companies and workers in the coming financial year as air travel picks up, transport minister said previously.
Minister of Transport, S. Iswaran said on Wednesday the aviation industry is looking to recruit more workers.
“…The excitement and the optimism is palpable,” he said. “Because I think they all want to see Changi (airport) buzzing again.”
Singapore began lifting quarantine restrictions for vaccinated travellers from certain countries in September, with 32 countries on the list before Thursday’s extension to vaccinated visitors from any nation. Since September 2021, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has launched Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) to 32 countries/regions, progressively in a cautious and step-by-step manner.
Japan lifted this week restrictions imposed on Tokyo and 17 other prefectures that had limited hours of eateries and other businesses.
South Korea, where COVID infections this week topped 10 million but appear to be stabilizing, pushed back a curfew on eateries to 11 p.m., stopped enforcing vaccine passes and dropped quarantine for vaccinated travellers arriving from overseas.
Indonesia dropped quarantine requirements for all arrivals from overseas this week, and its Southeast Asian neighbours of Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia took similar measures, as they seek to rebuild tourism sectors.
Indonesia is also lifting a ban on travel for a Muslim holiday in early May that traditionally sees millions of people head to villages and towns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Australia will lift its entry ban for international cruise ships next month, effectively ending all major COVID-related travel bans after two years.
New Zealand this week ended mandatory vaccine passes to visit restaurants, coffee shops and other public spaces. It will also lift vaccine mandates for a number of sectors from April 4 and open the borders for those on visa-waiver programmes from May.
Hong Kong, which has registered the most deaths per million people globally in recent weeks, plans to relax some measures next month, lifting a ban on flights from nine countries, reducing quarantine and reopening schools after a backlash from business and residents.