Singapore is halting the sale of new flight tickets for its quarantine-free travel channels as it tightens its borders with the growing threat from the Omicron Covid-19 variant, dealing a fresh blow to jet fuel demand.
The country's health ministry said the freeze on new flight ticket sales will start from tomorrow until 20 January to limit the country's exposure to imported Omicron cases. Singapore will also temporarily reduce future ticket sales and quotas for its vaccinated travel lanes, pending further developments of the Omicron situation. Ticket sales on such designated quarantine-free flights, meant for vaccinated travelers, will be capped to 50pc of the allocated quotas from 21 January until further notice.
The city-state has quarantine-free travel lanes with 24 countries, with it having deferred such arrangements for Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. But travellers who have already bought their tickets may continue with their plans, said the ministry.
"With aggressive contact tracing and ring fencing measures, we have, for now, been able to limit onward community transmission. But it is only a matter of time before the Omicron variant spreads in our community," the ministry said. Singapore has 65 confirmed Omicron cases.
A stricter Covid-19 testing regime has already been imposed on travellers arriving into Singapore, who have to test negative for the virus before going out for activities on that day.
Thailand also suspended its quarantine-free entry programme from today until 4 January. It has confirmed slightly more than 60 Omicron cases, with the suspension announced a day after it confirmed its first local Omicron infection on 20 December.
New Zealand has delayed a phased reopening of its borders until the end of February, despite initial plans to loosen restrictions from January. It had initial plans to reopen to visitors or visa holders from Australia in January.
This marks a reversal from the region's response to the Omicron variant at the start of this month.
The tighter border controls are to weigh on an already flagging Asian jet fuel market. Jet fuel margins, or Argus assessed Singapore jet fuel swaps to Dubai crude values, began their downwards trajectory last week, falling from around $12/bl at the start of last week to $10.16/bl on 21 December.
