SINGAPORE - Flights for eligible passengers only from Singapore to Perth will not take off on Feb 5 as previously announced, said Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Friday (Jan 21).

This comes after the Western Australian authorities delayed the reopening of the state's borders over fears that lagging booster vaccination rates will lead to the spread of the Omicron variant in the community.

Eligible passengers include fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members, as well as inoculated Singapore citizens and eligible visa holders.

SIA announced in October last year (2021) that those eligible may book flights from Singapore to Australia.

"SIA remains guided by Western Australia's regulations, and we will adjust our flights accordingly. We would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused," said a spokesman.

SIA noted that its vaccinated travel lane (VTL) flights from Perth to Singapore remain unaffected and will begin as planned on Feb 5.

Under the VTL, fully vaccinated travellers from Australia such as Singapore citizens, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and foreign nationals can enter Singapore without having to serve a stay-home notice. They will be required to undergo Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction testing.

Affected travellers who booked directly with SIA can use its assistance request form to seek a refund of the unused portion of their ticket.

For bookings made through a travel agency or partner airline, they can contact them directly.

Those who require urgent assistance may reach out to their local SIA reservation office, added the spokesman.