Plans to Jumpstart Aviation Sector, Ensure Success of Singapore AirShow 2022 and Extend Vaccinated Travel Lanes in Face of Rise in COVID-19 Omicron Cases

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport 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.

I will also address questions raised by Mr Seah Kian Peng1 and Mr Gan Thiam Poh for the Sittings on 11 and 12 January.

Sir, 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.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Dennis Tan have asked how we have 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 past several months.

In September last year, with a substantial proportion of the Singapore population vaccinated, we launched the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs). Two months later, on 26 November, the World Health Organization (WHO) 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.

On 22 December, 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 this year.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan has 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. In summary, about 2,600 cases were imported. The key sources were the United States at 16%, United Kingdom at 16% and India at 11%. This broadly corresponds to the VTL traveller volume and, as most Members will appreciate, it is also influenced by the incidence of Omicron in these countries. I would add that, of the composition of this figure, less than 10% were actually short-term visitors. So, the bulk is actually Singapore Citizens (SCs), Permanent Residents (PRs) and long-term visit pass (LTVP) holders who are returning to Singapore from overseas.

Ms Poh Li San, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Seah Kian Peng 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 Day Three and Day Seven after arrival. This is on top of the pre-departure and on-arrival test requirements. VTL travellers were also required to undergo self-administered ARTs on Days Two, Four, Five and Six of their arrival before going about their daily activities. Those who test positive are required to undergo a confirmatory PCR test. So, basically, pre-departure, on arrival and then from Day Two to Day Seven, there is daily ART self-administered, but on Days Three and Seven, they have to do it under supervision. And these have to be reported and, if there is a positive ART result, then they go for a PCR test.

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, as we have heard. 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 for by the public health assessment.

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. All frontline airport workers are now placed on a seven-day PCR Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) regime. For higher-risk frontline airport workers, an employer-supervised ART was introduced on the third day in addition to their seven-day PCR RRT. Further, all Singapore aircrew arriving from affected regions are required to undergo an on-arrival PCR test and post-arrival PCR tests on Days Three and Seven. These protocols will be adjusted, as they have in the past, in accordance with the latest public health risk assessments.

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 last year, 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 reduce the risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19. Since September last year, CAG has also installed ultraviolet-C (UV-C) sanitation equipment in the airport terminal air-conditioning systems to provide an additional layer of defence.

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.

Our maritime hub has weathered the COVID-19 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% last year. We are working with our tripartite partners to seize these opportunities, continue growing our maritime sector and create more good jobs for Singaporeans.

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-19 levels by the end of December 2021, largely aided by our VTL schemes. A study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Oxford Economics has projected international passenger volume at the end of 2022 to recover to about 55% of 2019 levels, which is up from about 20% at the end of last year. Therefore, barring unexpected setbacks like Omicron, we anticipate further recovery in 2022.

To Mr Leon Perera’s question, 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 and the Republic of Korea, Australia and Germany. Mr Perera also asked if we would allow more VTL flights during festive periods. You have heard from the MTF and also in today's session in Parliament, we closely monitor the demand for VTL flights and will regularly review the VTL quotas, always taking into consideration the prevailing public health assessment.

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 bring 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.

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.

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 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.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for his comprehensive answers. I have two supplementary questions.

First, in relation to a Nikkei article on 4 December, I quote Indonesia's Deputy Minister of State-owned Enterprises, Mr Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, mentioning in parliament about Kualanamu Airport, which they are actually looking to operate in Indonesia's North Sumatra region. He said, "Kualanamu can be a base to reduce dominance of Changi and KLIA" and that GMR Airports group has committed 56 trillion rupiahs or $3.8 billion to support the expansion. My first supplementary question (SQ) is in relation to that. And the Minister mentioned and elaborated on the aviation hub outlook. Can the Minister share what are the risks of our regional partners trying to gain a foothold in our aviation sector in terms of its growth and hub status as well? That is the first question.

Second, I am heartened to hear that CAAS is working to improve the airport ventilation rates, especially in a built environment. But the airport phase is key and I hope we can continue to enhance the airport phase's cleanliness, filters and airflows. My question is in relation to transport passenger volume. If we are going to grow it further forward, what measures can we take to enhance it even more because, definitely, with Changi Airport, we want to enhance the transit passenger volume even further as well.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his questions. First, on the reports that he has cited, I do not think I can speak with authority on the specific plans that the Indonesian government or, for that matter, any other government or regional players have. But let me start by saying that Changi is no stranger to competition. We have always had to compete with a whole variety of regional hubs. And there will continue to be new hubs that will emerge. Therefore, it is critical that we work at the system level with all the partners – whether it is Changi Airport Group, airline partners, SATS and other ground handlers, the unions and, certainly, the Government agencies, including CAAS. It is important that we mount a systemic response to preserve our competitiveness as an international aviation hub.

Central to that, in terms of looking ahead, I think that it will be underpinned by two key factors. The first is to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic in a manner that is safe and robust so that travellers, airlines and, indeed, the general population, have the confidence that air travel can, in fact, continue in a safe manner and that Changi is one of the places that they can travel through with utmost confidence. That is key.

That is what we are working towards. So, throughout the last 12 to 18 months, for all the airport players here in the aviation cluster, basically, it has been a Herculean effort because we have had to invert the operating model in Changi. A civilian airport, in general, is designed for an experience, for passengers to interact and we have had to reverse that logic and start to look at segmentation, testing and all kinds of other necessary protocols to protect health, but it means the travel experience is diminished.

But we are committed, as I have said earlier, to reclaiming and rebuilding our status as an international aviation hub. And our VTLs have helped us to raise volumes to about 15% or so of pre-COVID-19 levels by the end of last year and, based on both global projections and our own anticipation, we should be able to do better this year. But how much and how fast are really a function of the environment. And we need to always prioritise the public health assessment.

I would add that, beyond safe recovery, the longer-term competitive proposition of Changi will also rest on sustainability. And that is something that CAAS is working on with all the partners. That will also be an important competitive differentiator for us going forward.

The Member's second point was on passenger volumes and, if we want to increase passenger volumes, what would it entail. I think it is fair to say that the current protocols, whilst necessary, do impose a limit on how much we can grow within the current set of formulations. So, we will have to work with our health authorities and the aviation partners to ascertain how much flexibility we have, going forward, and what are the possible rate-limiting steps or aspects that we need to reconfigure so that we can go for the next bound of growth in terms of passenger volumes in Changi. And that is an effort that is currently being undertaken by MOT with CAAS and all our partners.

I thank the Minister for his answer. I would like to draw reference to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) I filed early in July 2021 about detection of COVID-19 in the built environment because better sensing of virus in the air and on surfaces may help us to find new vulnerabilities ahead of new clusters. I have an SQ for the Minister for Transport.

The Minister has spoken about what has been done to clean the air filtration better, to try and sterilise surfaces better with UVC. But can I ask the Minister how are we evaluating the effectiveness of these measures? Are we checking whether there is viral detectability in the ambient air? Are we checking for detectable virus on surfaces that members of the public or members of staff may come into contact with?

And if I may put a second SQ to MOT, can the Minister confirm that there is ongoing attention to making sure that existing security protocols in the airport also interlink safely with safe management measures? So, for example, where staff are required to have their faces validated against photo IDs, that this is done in a way that does not undermine the safe management processes against COVID-19.

Mr Speaker, if I may take the second question first and thanking the Member for raising these matters. Our highest priority is protecting the health and welfare of our frontline airport workers because, without them, the airport will not be able to function. So, we have undertaken a whole series of steps to ensure that our workers are protected to the best of our ability. And that is why I mentioned, specifically, the moves we have made with respect to personal protective equipment, or PPEs, and we have heightened them. In almost all the settings, they now wear N95 masks, for example, apart from the usual garb.

I would add that we have also the testing protocols that we have enhanced. All of these, on the one hand, ensure a higher level of safety for our workers. But I must also emphasise that it also means additional inconveniences and challenges. So, it is a constant recalibration, taking into account the risks, whilst we also focus on the welfare of the workers. So, the short answer to the Member's question is, of course, SMMs are our top priority and, when it comes to aspects like facial IDs and so on, all the necessary protocols are put in place and, if there is evidence that we need to do more, we will do more. But I just wanted to highlight to Members – and I have been engaged in conversations with the union leaders and so on – that every one of these moves does impose a real human burden, which we have to take into account.

On the first point on detection and how we continue to monitor, CAAS and Changi Airport are not the specialists in this area. But they are fully committed to protecting the environment to the best of their ability. In some ways, I think Changi Airport or its surrounding facilities are not too different from many commercial building settings and so on. This flow of people is from different sources and there are all kinds of activities and convergences.

First, we will be informed by the general settings and requirements and make sure that these are observed rigorously. Second, we are also working with, as I have said, MOH, NEA and BCA. These are specialised agencies that have important perspectives that then informs the measures that we can take in Changi Airport, as necessary. So, let me assure Members that it is something that we are watching and monitoring closely and we will continue to take all necessary steps to protect the health and safety of our workers.