Singapore, India not discussing flights bubble 'as Singaporeans understand it to be': CAAS
28 January, 2021
Singapore is not discussing an air travel bubble set up with India as persons here understand it to come to be, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Thursday (Jan 28).
CAAS was giving an answer to press queries regarding a good CNBC interview with India's Superior Commissioner to Singapore P Kumaran, where he said negotiations were ongoing for an air travel bubble between the two countries.
"I think there exists a fair amount of interest on both sides to try and improve the connectivity, which we've enjoyed through the years," said Mr Kumaran in the interview, which was posted on the CNBC web page on Monday.
There is a proposal to slowly but surely restore such connectivity and a "draft below negotiation", he said, without elaborating.
“Countries may have got different understanding on what a great flights bubble is," said CAAS air flow transport director Daniel Ng.
"Singapore is not discussing an flights bubble arrangement with India as Singaporeans understand it to be," he added.
A previously announced flights bubble somewhere between Singapore and Hong Kong could have seen residents manage to travel between your two cities subject and then COVID-19 tests, without the need for quarantine or isolation periods.
The bubble, which includes been suspended because of a spike in cases in Hong Kong, could have no restrictions placed on the purpose of travel.
In contrast, flights between Singapore and India happens to be restricted only to exceptional repatriation flights chartered by the Indian government, said Mr Ng.
"There is curiosity from both countries to explore resuming international scheduled professional passenger flights between Singapore and India gradually," he added.
Nevertheless, travellers will be at the mercy of travel restrictions and measures such as COVID-19 testing and stay-real estate notices, he said.
"Discussions happen to be ongoing," said Mr Ng.
India has reported the best number of COVID-19 infections after the USA, with 10.7 million cases and a lot more than 150,000 deaths.
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