Australia and Singapore set to establish travel bubble next month

Friday, October 22, 2021

Australia has decided to establish a travel bubble with Singapore next week that is expected to allow quarantine-free flights to start from November. Australia’s Prime Minister, Mr Scott Morrison recently confirmed the plan indicating that the bubble for fully vaccinated travellers could be in place by Nov 23 and would initially apply to international students and business travellers.

Tourists could be allowed to enter from December. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong said in an official statement that he was delighted that Australia will allow entry to visa holders from Singapore, adding that he had encouraged Mr Morrison to do so when he visited Singapore in June.

Mr Morrison said we are in the final stages of completing an arrangement with the Singapore government and we anticipate that being able to be achieved within the next week or so as we would open up to more visa class holders coming out of Singapore… We’re opening up.

Mr Lee Hsien Loong added that Singapore and Australia have robust economic and investment links, and warm people-to-people ties. He said that he is looking forward to resume close connectivity between the countries while moving towards an endemic Covid-19 future.

Expressing Singapore’s hope to work with Australia to progressively rebuild travel between both countries, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said he is hoping to share more details soon. However, PM Morrison did not give an exact date for the start of the travel bubble but indicated the timetable would align with that of national carrier Qantas.

Qantas said that flights to Singapore will resume on Nov 23, with three A330 flights per week. Daily flights will resume from Dec 18. Qantas’ low-cost subsidiary Jetstar will fly from Melbourne and Darwin to Singapore from Dec 16.

Singapore Airlines said on Friday that its Airbus A380 will resume flights to Sydney, with daily flights from Dec 1. These will fly alongside daily Boeing 777-300ER flights and Boeing 787-10 flights that run three times a week.

Australia’s two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, will also allow quarantine-free entry to fully vaccinated international arrivals from November 1. Other major cities are yet to follow and passengers to Australia will need to be aware of potential restrictions on travelling from Sydney and Melbourne to other states.

« Back to Page

• Arrival of Scenic Eclipse II at Sydney Harbour boosts Australia tourism

• As an Indonesian volcano erupts, Australia is under tsunami alert

• River Rafting, River Cruise and Canal Tours boost water tourism

• Food and Hotel Asia Singapore 2024 to attract global hospitality leaders

• This weekend, best road trips you must take in Asia