Oral Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran to Parliamentary Question on Air Travel amid COVID-19 pandemic

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     what are the risks of airflow-related COVID-19 transmissibility at Changi Airport buildings given what we know about the Omicron variant transmission capabilities; and 

b.     what other enhanced measures can be taken to protect all our airport workers (frontline and non-frontline).

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     in relation to the COVID-19 Omicron variant virus, what key global and domestic indicators are being monitored to assess the need to change our border measures and adjustments to both the Vaccinated Travel Lanes, their land capacity, flight sales caps and allocated quotas; and 

b.     what is the 2022 outlook for our regional air and maritime hubs.

Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Transport whether additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests will be required several days after arrival into Singapore for Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) travellers especially for those arriving from countries with high incidence of COVID-19 Omicron cases, in case the first PCR test upon arrival into Singapore does not pick up the infection.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport whether the freeze on new bus and flight ticket sales for the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) is necessary as Singapore moves towards treating the COVID-19 disease as endemic.

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport

a.     how often does Changi Airport undergo studies of the presence, viability and infectivity of COVID-19 virus in its built environment, including in the air and on surfaces which members of the public or staff may come into contact with; 

b.     whether these studies are revisited when COVID-19 novel variants arise around the world with higher transmissibility such as Delta and Omicron; and 

c.     when was this last studied.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport  in light of the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 

a.     how does the Ministry review its border control measures for air travel with all countries as well as Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) and non-VTL travel with Malaysia, with the view to striking a meaningful balance between allowing travel to continue while minimising the risk of COVID-19 spread during travel; and 

b.     what measures can be expected from the Ministry in the coming weeks.

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Transport

a.     what are the reasons for limiting Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights to only specific airlines; and 

b.     whether the Ministry will consider including more airlines, especially low-cost carriers, as well as more flights during festive periods like Chinese New Year and Hari Raya, to ensure that lower-cost options are available to those who need to travel.

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the effort to jumpstart the Singapore economy in 2022 and to gain momentum in the aviation sector 

a.     whether the Ministry is taking any steps to ensure the continued growth and success of Singapore's aviation industry; 

b.     if so, what are these steps; and 

c.     what are the additional efforts undertaken to ensure the success of the Singapore AirShow in 2022.

Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran:

1.     Over the past two years, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) have worked closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other government agencies to reopen our borders in a careful and calibrated manner. 

Managing Omicron 

2.     Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Dennis Tan asked how we reviewed our border measures in light of the Omicron variant, including what global and domestic indicators we monitor to inform our measures. Essentially it is a composite of both domestic and external factors. Let me elaborate in the context of what we have done over the last several months.  

3.     In September 2021, with a substantial proportion of the Singapore population vaccinated, we launched the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL). Two months later, on 26 November 2021, the World Health Organization designated Omicron as a Variant of Concern. Then, scientists around the world were still trying to ascertain Omicron’s transmissibility and virulence relative to Delta, and the efficacy of existing vaccines against this new variant. As a precautionary move, based on reports of the spread of Omicron in Sub-Saharan Africa, we restricted the entry and transit of non-residents from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe from 28 November, and from Ghana, Malawi and Nigeria from 5 December. Residents returning from these countries were subjected to a 10-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at dedicated facilities. We halted the expansion of the VTL scheme, and deferred the launch of the already announced VTLs to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. We also decided to maintain the daily quota for VTL (Air) travellers at 10,000 rather than increase it to 15,000 as we had earlier intended. 

4.     On 22 December 2021, given the rapid and global spread of the Omicron variant, we froze the sale of new VTL flight and bus tickets for entry into Singapore from 23 December 2021 to 20 January 2022. We also imposed a 50% limit on the daily number of VTL travellers from 21 January 2022. 

5.     Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked whether this freeze was necessary given our approach of living with COVID-19. As I have outlined, the freeze was part of a series of calibrated moves informed by the latest public health risk assessment as well as developments around the world. It was essential to balance the need to manage the risk of imported Omicron cases while minimising disruption to travellers who had already made VTL bookings to enter Singapore. Ms Foo Mee Har had asked earlier about the breakdown of imported cases for Omicron. There are about 2,600 cases that were imported. The key sources were the US at 16%, the UK at 16% and India at 11%. This broadly correspond to the VTL traveller volume and is also influenced by the incidence of Omicron in these countries. I would add that less than 10% are short term visitors, the bulk are Singapore Citizens, PR and long term visit pass holders, returning to Singapore from overseas. 

6.     Ms Poh Li San, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Seah Kian Peng have asked about the additional enhanced measures for VTL travellers. In the first week of December 2021, in consultation with MOH, we introduced additional supervised self-administered antigen rapid tests (ARTs) for VTL travellers on Days 3 and 7 after arrival, on top of the pre-departure and on-arrival test requirements. VTL travellers were also required to undergo self-administered ARTs on Days 2, 4, 5 and 6 of their arrival before going about their daily activities. Those who test positive are required to undergo a confirmatory PCR test. Basically, pre-departure, on arrival and days 2 to 7 there is daily ART self administered, but on days 3 and 7 they have to do it under supervision. These have to be reported and when there is a confirmation then they go for a PCR test. 

7.     Collectively, these adjustments to our border and other measures have allowed us time to study and better understand the Omicron variant, to strengthen our defences including our healthcare capacity, and to get more people vaccinated and boosted. We will continue to work closely with MOH to regularly review our border measures. As part of learning to live with the virus and its variants, we must press on with our efforts to restore our connectivity with the world while safeguarding public health. Our goal is to restore quarantine-free travel with more countries and regions as allowed by the public health assessment. 

Enhanced measures to protect airport workers 

8.     Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about the additional measures to protect airport workers from Omicron. Since 2 December 2021, we have enhanced the personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing protocols: 

a.     All frontline airport workers are now placed on a 7-day PCR Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) regime. 

b.     For higher-risk frontline airport workers, an employer-supervised ART was introduced on the third day in addition to their 7-day PCR RRT. 

c.     Further, all Singapore aircrew arriving from affected regions are required to undergo an on-arrival PCR test, and post-arrival PCR tests on Days 3 and 7. 

9.     These protocols will be adjusted in accordance with the latest public health risk assessments. 

10.    Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Dr Tan Wu Meng asked about airflow and COVID-19 transmissibility at the airport. Since the onset of the pandemic, Changi Airport Group (CAG) has progressively upgraded the air ventilation system at the airport. For instance, CAG has upgraded the filters in the air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) system to Merv-14 filters, which are able to remove about 85% of particles of 0.3 to 1.0 micron in size. In other words, they can filter out particles smaller than the size of a respiratory particle containing the COVID-19 virus. With the emergence of the more transmissible Delta variant in May 2021, CAAS, CAG, MOH, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) conducted an airflow study to identify spaces at the airport where ventilation and filtration could be further stepped up. Since then, 350 High Efficiency Particulate Absorbing (HEPA) portable air purifiers have been installed throughout the airport terminals at locations such as staff canteens, rest areas and health screening stations. These HEPA air purifiers are also used in hospitals and they help to further reduce the risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19. Since September 2021, CAG has also installed Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) sanitation equipment in the airport terminal air conditioning systems to provide an additional layer of defence. 

Outlook for 2022 

11.    Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Leon Perera, Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Shawn Huang asked about upcoming VTL moves and the outlook for our air and maritime hubs in 2022. 

12.    Our maritime hub has weathered the COVID crisis relatively well, with container throughput at our port likely to reach an all-time high in 2021. Maritime businesses also continued to establish and expand operations here. We expect the favourable outlook for trade and shipping to continue in 2022. According to industry projections, global seaborne trade is expected to grow 3.5% in 2022, slightly below the estimate of 3.6% growth in 2021. We are working with our tripartite partners to seize these opportunities, continue growing our maritime sector, and create more good jobs for Singaporeans. 

13.    On the other hand, air travel is expected to take several years to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Notwithstanding this, we remain confident of the long term potential of air travel, and are resolutely committed to working with Changi Airport Group and airline partners to rebuild and reclaim Singapore’s status as an international air hub. Compared to 3% at the start of 2021, passenger traffic at Changi increased to about 15% of pre-COVID levels by end-December 2021, largely aided by our VTL schemes. A study by IATA and Oxford Economics has projected international passenger volume at the end of 2022 to recover to about 55% of 2019’s levels, up from about 20% at the end of 2021. Therefore, barring unexpected setbacks like Omicron, we anticipate further recovery in 2022. 

14.    To Mr Leon Perera’s query, we do not restrict any airline from applying to operate VTL flights; the overall quota of inbound VTL travellers is allocated to airlines based on the plans they submit to CAAS. Low-cost carriers, such as Scoot, AirAsia, and Jetstar Asia already operate VTL flights from Malaysia. Scoot also operates VTL flights from Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Australia and Germany. Mr Perera also asked if we would allow more VTL flights during festive periods. We closely monitor the demand for VTL flights and we will regularly review the VTL quotas, always taking into consideration the prevailing public health assessment. 

15.    Mr Shawn Huang asked about our plans for the Singapore Airshow in 2022. The Singapore Airshow is one of the world’s leading airshows that brings together aerospace and defence leaders and key decision makers to conduct business and forge partnerships. The event organiser, Experia Events Pte. Ltd., has announced that Singapore Airshow 2022 will go ahead from 15 to 18 February, for trade visitors only. To ensure the success of Singapore Airshow 2022, our government agencies are working closely with the organiser on the public health protocols to facilitate its safe and smooth execution, including ensuring the safe entry of international trade attendees and safe management measures at the event. 

16.    As part of living with COVID-19, we must shift to a new setting that will enable us to stay connected to the world. It is essential that we press on with our mission to reopen our borders. The VTL scheme is a useful pathfinder for us to establish, test and build confidence in safe reopening to vaccinated travellers. Ultimately, we want to work towards quarantine-free travel for all vaccinated travellers. 

17.    Singapore’s global connectivity is critical to our economic competitiveness and the livelihoods of our people. It underpins our status as an international business centre, and a global trading hub. Over the past two years, the Government has provided significant support to preserve core capabilities in this strategic sector and to help them tide over this crisis. We will continue to work closely with our aviation stakeholders to rebuild a safe and sustainable Changi aviation hub.