Europe leaves Covid-19 curbs, putting its travel recovery ahead of Asia
As part of their efforts to normalize international air traffic, authorities in the United Kingdom are abandoning unpopular pre-flight tests and now only require proof of vaccination.
A global travel divide is widening as some countries abandon Covid-19 restrictions such as quarantines, isolation, and even mandatory testing, while others cling to decades-old rules.
Travel barriers in Asia, in particular, are isolating the region and its tourism-dependent economies at a time when Europe also the United States are reviving. As part of their efforts to normalize international air traffic, authorities in the United Kingdom are abandoning unpopular pre-flight tests and now only require proof of vaccination.
The world's most important transit hubs, Hong Kong and Singapore, are being avoided by travelers who want to prevent weeks of hotel isolation upon arrival or a slew of testing swabs. According to aviation data company Cerium, airlines that used to operate about 30,000 flights per month to the two Asian gateways before the pandemic has reduced that number to just 4,514 in February.
There is little chance of immediate change. Hong Kong, which quarantines overseas arrivals for up to 14 days and effectively bans flights from several high-risk countries, is sticking to its goal of eliminating the virus even as cases in the community rise. Authorities tightened restrictions even more last week, extending gathering limits to private properties for the first time.
And, despite signing more than a dozen agreements with other countries to establish vaccinated air travel lanes, Singapore still requires overseas visitors to undergo nearly a week of daily coronavirus tests during their stay. In addition, anyone attending the city's scaled-back biennial air show this week, which is expected to draw more than 13,000 in-person delegates and 600 companies, must also test negative each day as a condition of admission.
These financial constraints put additional strain on airlines primarily serving Asian routes, ranging from Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Singapore Airlines Ltd. to budget carriers Cebu Air Inc. in the Philippines and Malaysia-based AirAsia.