Singapore to extend vaccinated travel lanes to five more countries

From 29 November, Singapore will launch a unilateral VTL with Indonesia, starting with two daily designated flights between Singapore and Jakarta which will progressively increase to four. Indonesia remains closed to general travel and is only now starting to open its borders.

Singapore will launch a VTL with India on the same day. The two countries aim to start two daily VTL flights per day from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai by 29 November.

The country will extend VTLs to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar from 6 December, restoring two-way travel between Singapore and these the three countries. According to Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT), it aims to operate between three and four daily VTL flights to the three countries.

Mayumi Soh of Pinsent Masons MPillay, the Singapore joint law venture between MPillay and Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law, said: “These latest developments are a promising sign of life returning back to how things were pre-Covid 19. Many Singapore based workers from these countries are likely to take advantage of the VTLs to make a trip back home.”

Besides the five new VTLs, Singapore has already announced VTLs with 16 countries including two in North America, 10 in Europe and four in Asia Pacific.   

Earlier this month, the country announced that it will launch a VTL with Malaysia from 29 November.

The country launched VTLs with Germany and Brunei in September. It has since opened VTLs with Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, the US and South Korea.