Singapore to resume commercial flights from India from Nov 29

Singapore, Nov 21: Singapore has reached an agreement with India's Ministry of Civil Aviation on the resumption of scheduled commercial passenger flights between the two countries, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said on Sunday.

Singapore's vaccinated travel lane (VTL) with India will start on November 29, with six designated flights daily from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai, it said.

Applications for vaccinated travel passes (VTP) for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders from India will start on Monday. Airlines can also operate non-VTL flights between India and Singapore, although passengers on non-VTL flights will be subject to the prevailing public health requirements, CAAS said.

"CAAS understands that travellers are looking forward to the launch of the VTL and would like to assure travellers that there is no need to rush to apply for the VTP," Channel News Asia reported, citing the authority. Applications for travellers from Finland, India and Sweden will open the same day at 6 pm Singapore time, it said.

"Travellers from these countries will not be able to apply for a VTP earlier (than the stated time)," CAAS said. The authority said that VTP applications will open for those intending to enter Singapore from November 29 to January 21, 2022.

However, it "strongly encouraged" those who intend to enter Singapore after December 1 to apply after November 24. "All short-term visitors and long-term pass holders who meet the requirements of the VTL, will receive a VTP," it said.

To facilitate the application process, VTP applicants should have their passport and digital proof of vaccination on hand. They should also know the address of the place they intend to self-isolate while waiting for the results of their on-arrival COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, CAAS said.

Travellers who require a visa for travel to Singapore should apply for their visa separately and only after their VTP is approved, it said.

"They must also purchase travel insurance, with a minimum coverage of Singapore dollars 30,000 for COVID-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs, prior to travel to Singapore. In Singapore, these visitors must also use the TraceTogether app to facilitate contact tracing," the authority said.