MAHB to apply VTL by air 'test and release' arrival process from March 16

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and the Ministry of Transport have obtained approval from the Ministry of Health to implement the "Test and Release" arrival process under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) by Air programme, starting tomorrow.

Managing director Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood said with the enhancement, travellers no longer have to wait for their COVID-19 RT-PCR screening test results at the airport.

"Instead, they can immediately take private transportation, taxi or private car hire from the airport to their declared accommodation in their MySejahtera Home Surveillance Order (HSO) upon clearing immigration.

"This will provide greater flexibility and comfort to VTL travellers while they wait for their test results, which will be provided within 24 hours," he said in a statement today.

Once the test result is confirmed to be negative, the HSO status in MySejahtera will be lifted by the authorities, the airport operator said.

Apart from enabling passengers to clear airport processes faster, MAHB said this latest enhancement is expected to minimise congestion at the airport in view of the multiple VTL by Air programme being implemented.

VTL by Air for Cambodia and Thailand commenced today, while VTL by Air with Singapore is expanded to include a new Malaysian destination, Penang, which also starts tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA