GEORGE TOWN: No positive cases of Covid-19 were detected on the first day of the air Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Penang and Singapore yesterday.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said a total of 210 passengers arrived from Singapore via flights AK1730 and SQ138.
There were 56 passengers on the AirAsia and 154 passengers on the Singapore Airlines flights which touched down at the Penang International Airport (PIA) in Bayan Lepas here at 6.20pm and 7pm respectively.
The AK1730 aircraft received a water cannon salute while passengers were greeted with mementos to mark the special occasion.
“The PIA received its first batch of passengers via the Penang-Singapore VTL yesterday and everything proceeded smoothly.
“All 210 passengers who arrived at the PIA were allowed to leave the airport after they were confirmed negative for Covid-19,” he said on his Facebook page today.
Wee thanked Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAHB), PIA and the Health Ministry for working together in ensuring that the air VTL between Penang and Singapore which began yesterday went on smoothly.
Penang is the second Malaysian destination introduced after Kuala Lumpur under the Singapore-Malaysia VTL programme.
There are four airlines operating under this programme – Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Scoot.
The governments of Malaysia and Singapore had reached an agreement to expand the VTL by air to serve the Penang-Singapore route starting yesterday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob recently announced that Malaysia was finally ready to reopen its international borders – which had remained closed for about two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic – as it enters a transitional phase into endemicity from April 1.
Source: New Straits Times
