Green light for new VTL-Air

PETALING JAYA: The air Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL-Air) between Penang and Singapore will start with four flights per day equally shared between participating airlines operating in Malaysia and the republic.

Sales of VTL-Air tickets would begin soon, said Transport Minister Datuk Dr Seri Wee Ka Siong.

In announcing that the VTL-Air between Penang and Singapore would begin on March 16, he said: “This VTL initiative will allow fully vaccinated travellers between Penang and Singapore and vice versa, with participating airlines under the VTL-Air, not to be quarantined upon arrival.”

In a statement, he said the governments of Malaysia and Singapore had reached a mutual agreement to expand VTL-Air to serve the Penang-Singapore route starting March 16.

He added that the initiative had played an important role in strengthening flight connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore while contributing to the economic and commercial recovery of the two neighbours, particularly in the tourism sector, which had been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“First initiated between the Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport route on Nov 29 last year, VTL-Air has served 82,906 arriving passengers from Singapore as of Feb 28 this year,” Dr Wee said.

Further information on pre-departure and entry conditions to Malaysia can be accessed at www.imi.gov.my.

Details on requirements for VTL-Air to Singapore can be obtained from https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg.

Later in Johor Baru, Dr Wee said guidelines for the VTL-Air initiative for Malaysia-Thailand and Malaysia-Cambodia would be announced in the next two days.

He said the scheme would begin as soon as possible after his ministry worked out a suitable number of flights and flight companies for the travel scheme.

“The travel lane was discussed during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s visits to Thailand and Cambodia recently.

“As Transport Minister, I have informed the Cabinet about the Prime Minister’s travel there and that both countries have agreed to implement the VTL.

“Discussions are ongoing,” he told reporters after the opening ceremony and handing over of the RM18mil SJK(C) Cheah Fah from Sunway City Iskandar Puteri to the state education department.

Dr Wee said Thailand and Cambodia had also said that they would implement quarantine-free travel and entry from Malaysia, with the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore VTL-Air template to be followed.