Singapore VTL flights resume in full, dozens of countries and territories to be opened without quarantine

Singapore resumes full VTL flights to 24 countries

At the end of December last year, in an effort to control the number of imported cases from abroad, Singapore took steps to limit the number of VTLs to 24 countries, with ticketing limited to 50% of the number of passengers.

On February 16, Singapore announced that it will resume the VTL for all 24 countries with immediate effect, with ticketing restrictions lifted and more VTL routes and flights to be launched.

From 22 February, VTL travellers and those from low-risk countries and territories will not be required to undergo PCR testing and will only be required to do a rapid screening ART test within 24 hours of entry.

At a press conference on 16 February, Health Minister mentioned that these core strategies for border control will ensure that these inbound travellers do not put a strain on Singapore's healthcare system.

Singapore Airlines VTL expands to 47 cities

SIA will be expanding its VTL to 47 international cities one by one in the next few weeks.

With the introduction of segregation-free entry for Hong Kong-bound passengers to Singapore from 17 February, SIA now operates two daily flights between Singapore and Hong Kong. From 25 February, flights SQ883 and SQ895 between Singapore and Hong Kong join the VTL.

However, from 17 February to 1 March, flights SQ882 and SQ894 operated by Singapore Airlines to Hong Kong were melted down due to a passenger being diagnosed with a new crown.

However, as all VTL between Singapore and Hong Kong are one-way flights from Hong Kong to Singapore, VTL is not affected and can still operate normally. The scheduled SIA flights for this VTL will be SQ883 and SQ895.

SIA will also continue to offer VTL flights to and from Dubai, New York (Newark), Manila and Phuket, as well as increasing the number of VTL flights on some existing routes.

What happens if a flight that has been booked is changed to a VTL flight?

SIA will inform affected passengers that if they do not meet the VTL travel requirements, they can change to another flight or request a refund; for passengers who purchased their tickets through travel agents and other ticketing companies, they are advised to contact them directly.

TR753 will be added to the VTL schedule from the 22nd of next month and will operate three times a week from Singapore to London via Bangkok.

Singapore and Malaysia VTL Air Gateway

Singapore and Malaysia have been open for VTL flights since 29 November last year and are currently discussing the opening of two more Malaysian cities, Penang and Kota Kinabalu, respectively.

The authorities said that from 25 February, those who have completed the vaccination will be exempted from quarantine when entering Singapore on Qatar Airways and Emirates flights.

From March 4, Singapore will have two-way quarantine-free VTL flights with Israel and the Philippines.

Speaking at the launch, Transport Minister said the most important objective by now was to allow all fully vaccinated travellers to enter Singapore quarantine-free.

As of Tuesday, nearly 400,000 foreign travellers have entered Singapore via the VTL corridor. Recently, the global cases have not been promising and some people are on the fence about the opening of the VTL. However, figures show that many visitors are already entering and leaving Singapore through the VTL.