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$SINGAPORE AIRLINES LTD(C6L.SI)$Air travel will not return to pre-Covid levels for the time being

Speaking on managing the risks brought by the pandemic to changes in the supply chain, Wong said while there was "some impact" in the form of localised disruptions last year, the system has been "resilient" for the most part throughout the pandemic, and has been able to "adjust and cope".

However, on the prospects of air travel, he is "somewhat less sanguine" as compared to the outlook on supply chains and trade.

Besides the waves of infection the region is seeing, he added that vaccination rates for many countries regionally are "still not high enough".

But there might be some travel arrangements made among countries with low and stable infections, he said, adding that vaccinated travellers can perhaps see some benefits such as shorter quarantine times.

Nevertheless, even if some travel arrangements resume, "all of that is not going to add up to what we used to have pre-Covid", the co-chair of the multi-ministry task force said.

"Air travel, I’m afraid, will take some time to recover," he said.