Singapore and France Elevate Cooperation in Civil Aviation
30 May 2025
Singapore and France will elevate their cooperation in civil aviation to enhance connectivity between the two countries which are global air hubs for their respective regions. On 30 May 2025, in connection with French President Emmanuel Macron’s State Visit to Singapore, Mr Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Singapore and Mr Eric Lombard, Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, France, exchanged a new Enhanced Framework Agreement to cooperate in civil aviation signed by the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Mr Han Kok Juan and the Director-General of the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) Mr Damien Cazé. The Enhanced Framework Agreement for civil aviation will support growing ties between the two countries and enhance people and business flows.
2 Singapore and France are global air hubs in Asia-Pacific and Europe. In 2024, there were over 583,000 passenger movements between Singapore and Paris; this was a 36% increase over the 430,000 passenger movements in 2019. In the first four months of 2025 alone, passenger movements between Singapore and Paris have exceeded 169,000; and demand is expected to continue to grow. As of May 2025, Singapore Airlines and Air France collectively operate 24 weekly passenger services between Singapore and Paris.
3 The Enhanced Framework Agreement is significant in three ways. First, CAAS and DGAC will work together across all major areas of civil aviation including (a) safety and security, (b) air traffic management, (c) environment, (d) training and education and (e) aviation innovation. This replaces and is a significant expansion of the Technical Cooperation Agreement signed in 1998 which only covered cooperation on technical matters. Second, the agreement will foster ecosystem to ecosystem collaboration. It will involve not just the respective civil aviation authorities but all aviation, aerospace and training stakeholders. The broad-based collaboration allows both parties to tap on the expertise of their respective eco-systems including private sector companies and training institutions. For a start, CAAS and DGAC, through their respective training arms, the Singapore Aviation Academy and the École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile, will jointly deliver an Advanced Master in Air Transport Management for the Pacific Small Island Developing States. Third, CAAS and DGAC will hold annual dialogues, alternating between Singapore and France.
4 Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS said: “CAAS is deeply honoured to sign this Enhanced Framework Agreement with DGAC to elevate our cooperation in aviation. The new civil aviation agreement is testament to the shared commitment of the two civil aviation authorities to work together to support growing ties between our two countries, enhance connectivity for travellers and bring together our aviation and aerospace sectors to create new opportunities for businesses.”
5 Mr Damien Cazé, Director-General of DGAC said: “DGAC is proud to be a long-term partner for civil aviation authorities in the ASEAN region and is willing to increase its presence and exchanges with Singapore as a global aviation hub, and as a leader in aviation innovation. The strong relationship between our two countries in civil aviation is also reflected by the involvement of French industrial players like Airbus and Thales, and by a fruitful academic collaboration. This Enhanced Framework Agreement will allow us to further develop the longstanding relations between our two countries in domains such as air traffic management, safety, innovation and sustainable development, both at regional and global levels.”
About the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
The mission of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is to grow a safe, vibrant air hub and civil aviation system, making a key contribution to Singapore's success. CAAS' roles are to oversee and promote safety in the aviation industry, develop the air hub and aviation industry, provide air navigation services, provide aviation training for human resource development, and contribute to the development of international civil aviation. For more information, visit www.caas.gov.sg.
About Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile
The mission of the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) is to guarantee the safety and security of air transport by placing sustainable development at the heart of its actions. It deals with all aspects of civil aviation: sustainable development, safety, air traffic control, economic regulation, support for aircraft construction, general aviation and aeronautical training. For more information, visit www.ecologie.gouv.fr/politiques/aviation-civile.
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