Beijing 2022 Olympics: Singapore to serve as aviation hub for athletes, delegates

Singapore Airlines will operate daily flights for Singaporean and foreign athletes and officials from January 21 to March 16

The announcement came as Singapore officials signed 14 new deals with largest trade partner China, from the areas of finance to cooperation in green development

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A Singapore Airlines plane waits to depart at Changi International Airport. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:02pm, 30 Dec 2021Updated: 2:08pm, 30 Dec 2021

Singapore will play the role of a “connecting hub” during the Beijing Winter Olympics by ferrying athletes and delegates from the region to the Chinese capital, officials on Wednesday said, amid growing uncertainty over the Games given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant globally.

Transport minister S. Iswaran said that while air connectivity between China and Singapore stood at about 3 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, the Winter Games would be a “good opportunity” for the two countries to enhance people-to-people exchanges.

“Singapore Airlines will be operating chartered flights through Changi Airport as a connecting hub for the region,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Chinese officials had earlier flagged Singapore as one of the few places where temporary and chartered flights could operate from to bring athletes into China for the event. Other cities include Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris.

Singapore Airlines, responding to This Week In Asia’s queries, confirmed that it would operate daily flights for Singaporean and foreign athletes and officials from January 21 to March 16.