Singapore and Hong Kong will launch an Air Travel Bubble (ATB) on 26 May, it has emerged.

The ATB was announced in November, but has suffered consecutive delays due to a spike in Covid-19 infection rates.

In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said it ‘will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation from now until 26 May’ adding it would ‘proceed with the launch if the [Covid-19] situation continues to be steady and remains under control in both cities’.

The news will be welcomed by travel retailers at Singapore Changi Airport and Hong Kong International Airport, including DFS Group, Gebr. Heinemann, Lotte Duty Free and The Shilla Duty Free.

Travellers using the ATB must have been in either Singapore or Hong Kong 14 days prior to departure and the period must exclude any time spent in quarantine or through a Stay-Home Notice (SHN).

The presentation of a negative Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test is mandatory 72 hours before scheduled departure.

On arrival, travellers are required to take a Covid-19 test at Singapore Changi Airport or Hong Kong International Airport.

They must download Hong Kong’s LeaveHomeSafe (LHS) app on their mobile devices prior to leaving Singapore for Hong Kong.

For further details on the ATB conditions, click here.