Korean Air and Asiana to Operate Up to Four Weekly Flights for Singapore Travel Bubble Exclusive Service

Exemption from Quarantine for Vaccinated Passengers
Flights to Begin from the 15th of Next Month
LCC Route Approval and Operation Under Review

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have finalized the flight schedules for exclusive flights for COVID-19 vaccinated passengers under the travel bubble agreement with Singapore, the second country to establish such a travel safety zone with South Korea. They plan to significantly increase the weekly flight frequency compared to the Saipan travel bubble to actively respond to the increased passenger demand in the with-COVID-19 era.

According to the aviation industry on the 21st, Korean Air will operate the Incheon?Singapore route 'VTL' (Vaccinated Travel Lane, travel bubble) exclusive flights three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays starting from next month on the 15th. VTL flights are exclusive flights for passengers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and passengers are exempt from quarantine.

Asiana Airlines will also operate VTL exclusive flights on the Incheon?Singapore route three times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from November 15 to 30, and will increase the frequency to four times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from December 1 to January 31 of next year. Compared to operating the Saipan travel bubble once a week, this reflects expectations of increased passenger demand.

Asiana Airlines is reviewing direct passenger promotion plans such as ticket sales in line with the implementation of the travel bubble. This is because, under the agreement between South Korea and Singapore, fully vaccinated travelers can travel individually as well as in groups without quarantine.

Eligible passengers for VTL flights are those who have completed vaccination at least 14 days prior and have stayed in a travel safety zone country for 14 days before departure. The countries with VTL agreements with Singapore include 11 countries such as South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. VTL passengers must carry an English vaccination certificate and a negative COVID-19 PCR test result issued within 48 hours before departure.

Domestic low-cost carriers (LCCs) also plan to prepare for flights to Singapore while monitoring future trends. Currently, since the two countries decide on new routes based on quarantine conditions, LCCs that have not yet received flight permits cannot immediately implement travel bubbles on these routes. Jeju Air has obtained permission from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the Incheon?Singapore route, and T’way Air plans to decide on operating the route after introducing medium- to long-haul aircraft early next year.

An aviation industry official said, "Interest in overseas travel is increasing in the with-COVID-19 atmosphere following the Saipan travel bubble," adding, "It is expected that the resumption of international flights, mainly to Southeast Asia, will accelerate depending on passenger demand for Singapore."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.