New air Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) involving Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia will begin on March 15, 2022 as part of joint efforts to reopen international borders.

Illustrative image (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Malaysian Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said fully vaccinated travellers will be allowed to travel the designated routes without being required to quarantine upon arrival.

These routes are expected to aid Malaysia’s economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in reviving the ailing tourism industry, Wee said in a statement on March 5.

Wee said for Thailand, designated airlines from both countries will be allowed to mount up to six flights daily for the Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok route and up to four flights daily for the Kuala Lumpur-Phuket route while additional routes may be added subject to mutual agreement by both countries.

For Cambodia, he said designated airlines from both countries will be allowed to operate up to two flights daily on the Kuala Lumpur-Phnom Penh route while additional routes may be added subject to market demand.

Wee said these VTL routes will be served by all the three countries' designated carriers under the VTL initiative.

Wee said the government will continue discussions with ASEAN countries on the safe reopening of additional routes in the future according to prevailing situations.

Malaysia currently has an air and land VTL arrangement with Singapore while Malaysia and Brunei have agreed in principle to implement the same soon.

Malaysia reported on March 6 that the country logged 33,406 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily rise since the pandemic broke out in the country in 2020, and 67 deaths.

The country’s total caseload has to date reached 3,595,172, while the death toll amounted to 33,173.

Source: VNA