These 24 countries accounted for over half of Changi Airport passenger traffic prior to the pandemic.
The recent launch of VTLs with Australia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia was particularly significant. These were among the five largest markets for Changi and the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group prior to COVID, leaving China as the only remaining white spot.
SIA currently has only a few weekly flights to China, carrying only essential traffic.
Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia have been served throughout the pandemic while SIA was finally able to resume scheduled services to India on Nov 29 for the first time since March 2020, quickly mounting 51 weekly flights including 21 VTL frequencies.
Earlier VTLs focused primarily on long-haul markets in Europe and North America, which account for a relatively small share of Singapore’s pre-pandemic passenger traffic, despite being economically important.
The VTL scheme, which has expanded rapidly since starting with only two countries…