Hong Kong and Singapore announce “milestone” air bubble

Cathay Pacific (CX, Hong Kong Int’l) has welcomed a new air travel bubble between Hong Kong Int’l and Singapore Changi as “a milestone development” and an important first step in facilitating the resumption of regular air travel between the two Asian financial centres. Singapore and Hong Kong on October 15, 2020, announced they had reached a preliminary agreement to establish an air travel bubble between them, allowing travellers of all kinds to bypass quarantine. Reacting to the announcement, Cathay Pacific Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Ronald Lam said: “Singapore is a popular destination for Hong Kong travellers for both leisure and business purposes. We are grateful to the authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore for reaching this agreement, which importantly will enable passengers travelling between the two cities to do so without any restrictions on the purpose of their travel, nor with any quarantine requirements for those with negative test results”. He said the airline looked forward to receiving further information regarding the details of its implementation. Announcing the decision, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Edward Yau, also called the agreement “a milestone in our efforts to resume normalcy while fighting against the long-drawn battle of COVID-19.” He did not specify a launch date but said the two governments would proceed with the next steps over the coming weeks, which included ironing out the details for laboratory testing and engaging with the airlines, reported the South China Morning Post. Singaporean Transport Minister, Ong Ye Kung, said he hoped the air bubble could officially be launched within “weeks”, but that Hong Kong first had to go through a legislative process. The Minister also said a quota on travel numbers would be imposed initially, but details still needed to be finalised. Hong Kong said last month it was also seeking to form travel bubbles with 10 other destinations, including Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand and Vietnam.