Singapore plans quarantine-free travel for fully-vaccinated people from India from Nov 29: Reports
Singapore, Nov 15: Singapore is planning to allow quarantine-free travel for fully-vaccinated passengers from India and Indonesia from November 29 and will add three more countries early next month as it hopes to reclaim and rebuild the country's status as an international aviation hub with global connectivity, according to media reports on Monday.
Currently, there are 13 countries, including Canada, Australia and Germany, under Singapore's vaccinated travel lane (VTL) programme, the Channel News Asia (CNA) reported.
According to a Straits Times report, travellers from India and Indonesia will be able to enter Singapore under the quarantine-free travel scheme from November 29. In addition, travellers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will be able to enter Singapore from December 6, in a further expansion of the VTL scheme.
Travellers under the VTLs are not subject to stay-home notice on arrival. Instead, they will be required to produce a negative pre-departure test taken within two days prior to departure and undergo an on-arrival PCR test, it said.
Addressing a COVID-19 multi-ministry task force press conference on Monday, Transport Minister S Iswaran said Singapore and India have been discussing the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates.
Since November 12, India has started recognising vaccination certificates issued by Singapore.
This means that fully vaccinated travellers from Singapore entering India will no longer need to undergo post-arrival tests home quarantine, they will just need to self monitor for 14 days upon arrival, Iswaran said.
"Our discussions with India are progressing well. And we aim to resume two daily VTL flights each to Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai by Nov 29. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will provide more details once finalised," the CNA report quoted Iswaran as saying.
The health ministry has also updated its public health assessment and will upgrade India to Category 2 from November 19. The Category 2 classification means that a country either has similar or lower Covid-19 incidence rates than Singapore and other VTL countries.
"We are in discussions on the resumption of scheduled commercial passenger services (with India). As today the only flights from Singapore allowed to carry passengers to India are government charter relief flights under the Vande Bharat mission," Iswaran said.
Applications for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will start on November 22 for travellers from India and Indonesia, while travellers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE will be able to apply from November 29.
Returning Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are fully vaccinated will not need to apply if they are travelling via the VTL.
In a press release, the CAAS said the step-by-step extension of the VTL allows it to revive air travel safely without compromising public health and will also help to reclaim and rebuild Singapore's status as an international aviation hub with global connectivity.
In 2019, India accounted for about 7 per cent of passenger arrivals at the Changi Airport here.
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Delhi airport incident: AI Express issues show cause notice to pilot
External inquiry panel to be set up
New Delhi (PTI): Air India Express will set up an external committee next week to inquire into the incident of one of its off-duty captain assaulting a passenger at the Delhi airport on Friday, sources said.
Soon after the incident on Friday, the Tata Group-owned airline suspended the pilot and the sources told PTI that a show cause notice has also been served to him seeking an explanation.
The proceedings are being carried under the labour laws as a pilot comes under the workmen category. An external inquiry committee will set up next week to probe the incident, the sources said.
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The incident occurred at Terminal 1 (T1) of the Delhi airport on Friday.
The passenger Ankit Dewan, on Friday, shared his experience in a social media post, along with a photo showing blood on his face after the altercation. He also shared a photo of the pilot Virender Sejwal.
On Saturday, the civil aviation ministry said it has taken serious cognizance of the incident and directed the airline to ground the pilot with immediate effect.
"A formal enquiry has been ordered. Detailed reports have been sought from BCAS and CISF," the ministry had said in a post on X in a response to a post by Dewan.
In a statement on Friday, Air India Express said it is aware of an incident at the Delhi airport involving one of its employees, who was travelling as a passenger on another airline, and had an altercation with another passenger.
"We unequivocally condemn such behaviour. The employee concerned has been removed from official duties with immediate effect, pending investigation.
"Appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated based on the findings of the inquiry," the airline had said.
Air India Express officials had also contacted the passenger.
