On April 1, Singapore and Malaysia fully opened their borders, did not isolate and eased entry restrictions.
At Changi Airport's terminals one and three, thousands of tourists dragged their luggage to flight signs to check information on the morning of April 1. This is the first day that the lion island nation has eliminated designated flights for fully vaccinated guests as well as tested on entry.
Passengers wait in line to check in at Terminal 3 at Changi Airport, Singapore on April 1. Many people say that they feel like normal life as before the epidemic has returned. Photo: ST
Busy crowds stood in the aisles, lined up in front of check-in counters and cafes. This is an image that Singaporeans have not seen for a long time, since the pandemic broke out in early 2020.
Franklin Tang, 44, arrived at the airport at 7:45 a.m. to prepare for a 10 a.m. flight to the Maldives. He waited in line for an hour waiting for his turn to check in. "It's exciting to be able to travel again," said Tang.
Fang Ping, 29, a shopkeeper at Bengawan Solo in Terminal 3, said the bakery had more customers than usual. "Last time, the crowd in the departure hall gradually decreased at 8-9am, but now it's 11am, and the queues are still long," she said.
The same thing happened at Malaysian border gates on the first day that the country fully reopened its borders, from isolated tourists. At Kuala Lumpur airport, visitors are warmly welcomed. "Because of the epidemic, it was very difficult to travel. But in the end, we were able to travel again. It was nice to have a warm welcome," said Ikrima Irza Fatika, a tourist from Indonesia.
The Singapore-Malaysia border gate was crowded with tourists from the night of March 31. Photo: ST
The Malaysian government said that the reopening of the border marks a new phase for this country in the context that neighboring countries have removed all travel restrictions with visitors. The country's head of tourism, Nancy Shukri, hopes to welcome two million visitors this year.
