Singapore to allow travellers to transit through airport from June 2

Singapore, a regional travel and tourism hub, will gradually allow travelers to transit through its Changi Airport from June 2, the city-state's aviation regulator said on Wednesday. Currently, foreign passengers may only transit through Singapore if they are on repatriation flights arranged by their governments. In March, visitors were banned from entering or transiting through the city-state to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is part of Singapore's strategy to gradually re-open air transport to meet the needs of our economy and our people, whilst ensuring sufficient safeguards for safe travel," the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said. It said airlines should submit their proposals for transfer lanes, which will be evaluated taking into account aviation safety, public health considerations, as well as the health of passengers and aircrew.

Changi Airport, among the world's busiest last year, recorded 25,200 passenger movements in April, crashing 99.5% from the year-ago. Singapore is set to start easing its coronavirus curbs from June 2.