Australia to discuss travel bubble with Singapore as leaders meet before G7 summit

Australians could be flying to Singapore far sooner than expected, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison set to discuss the future of travel bubbles today.

Australians could be flying to Singapore sooner than expected, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison set to discuss the future of travel bubbles with the nation’s leader, Lee Hsien Loong.

As the first stop for the Prime Minister on his way to Cornwall, UK, for the G7 summit, Mr Morrison will be discussing the future of Australia’s tourism industry following the opening of the trans-Tasman travel bubble with New Zealand in April.

The talks are expected to produce a political commitment to the travel bubble rather than securing a firm starting date.

The concept of the travel bubble between Singapore and Australia was first floated in October but has been left waiting in the wings while the Federal Government worked on finalised quarantine-free travel with New Zealand.

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Australians could be flying sooner rather than later. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP

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Since opening the travel bubble across the Tasman, all eyes have been on where Australians will be travelling to next.

But following a recent outbreak in the Asian country, there has been growing concern that the uptick in mystery cases may threaten plans of a travel bubble with Australia, which was slated for a potential July launch.

Under the initial arrangement, vaccinated travellers would have been able to travel freely between the two countries without a mandatory two-week quarantine period for work, study or holiday purposes. Essentially, identical to what is in place between Australia and New Zealand.

Another positive is that the arrangement could also see Singapore become an intermediary country for those looking to come into Australia, which would help bring home the 36,000 or so stranded citizens waiting to return home.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has travelled to Singapore to discuss a travel bubble. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong. Picture: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

It is hoped that the meeting between both leaders today will allow for some progress around setting out the preconditions for a travel bubble.

Some of the areas that will be discussed around the bubble include ensuring all travellers from Australia can prove their vaccination status, as well as determining the threshold for closing the bubble in the event of outbreaks.

Speaking to SBS, Singapore Airlines regional vice president Louis Arul said the growing pace of vaccinations in both nations provides hope to reopen the borders between both nations.

“Our commitment to Australia throughout this time has been unwavering, supporting the Government’s efforts to return Australian citizens, facilitating Australian producers and suppliers to export produce … and ensure the uninterrupted import of essential medical supplies to support the fight against Covid-19,” he said.

We may be travelling to Singapore sooner than expected.

“We are keen to work with key stakeholders and state and federal governments to progress the safe, staged reopening of borders to facilitate the return of more Australians, international students as well as skilled workers and our aviation on the path to recovery.”

Singapore currently has a travel bubble with Hong Kong, with a clear set of rules set by both nations. In the agreement, the bubble will be suspended if infection rates in either region reach a seven-day moving average of more than five daily unlinked local cases. Similar rules are expected to be in place in relation to an Australian bubble.