Economy class return air tickets to Hong Kong from Singapore went up for sale after the Government announced on Wednesday that leisure travel between both cities will be allowed from Nov 22.

While I cheer the opportunity for airlines to quickly claw back some revenue to soothe the bleeding as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, I hope expensive air tickets will not become the norm.

The real recovery of airlines and airports worldwide comes when tourism really gets back on its feet like the way it was pre-Covid-19.

It is when there is critical mass that wealth is distributed all around - from airfares for airlines and airport taxes for airports, to earnings for hotels and tourist spending for retailers.

High airfares will serve only to discourage the return of mass tourism if and when a Covid-19 vaccine has done its job.

I hope any higher airfares will be just a short-term phenomenon.

Phillip Tan Fong Lip