CAAS and UK CAA to Work Together on Aviation Safety and Sustainability

CAAS and UK CAA agreed that these are key priorities in 2022 as international air travel recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic

            Aviation safety and sustainability will be key priorities for the aviation sectors of Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK) as international air travel recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. At the first Singapore-UK Bilateral Aviation Steering Committee meeting jointly chaired by Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Mr Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive Officer, UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), on 11 January 2022, CAAS and UK CAA agreed to deepen collaboration in these two areas to rebuild a safe and sustainable aviation sector for all travellers.

2            On aviation safety, CAAS and UK CAA have set up a joint COVID-19 Safety Recovery Workgroup to study issues relating to the proficiency and mental wellness of pilots and other aviation personnel, the airworthiness of aircraft that are being brought back into service, safety culture and the effectiveness of safety management systems.

3            On sustainability, CAAS and UK CAA exchanged notes on initiatives to decarbonise the aviation sector and agreed to further knowledge sharing on emerging green technology and travellers’ preference. Singapore and the UK are both members of the Clean Skies for Tomorrow (CST) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Ambassadors Group, an initiative that provides a global mechanism for top executives and public leaders to align on a transition to SAF. The Ambassadors Group earlier launched the SAF Policy Toolkit[1], which provides a menu of options to help policymakers around the world grow a sustainable SAF supply, stimulate SAF demand, and enable a healthy SAF ecosystem.

4            Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS said, “CAAS and UK CAA share common priorities as we help our aviation sectors recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK is ahead of Singapore in air travel recovery: passenger traffic in the UK has risen to 50% of pre-COVID levels compared to 15% in Singapore. The UK’s experience managing the surge in traffic provides useful learning points as CAAS works with Singapore aviation companies and unions to ensure sufficient capacity and assure safety to support recovery. As we both work towards rebuilding an aviation sector that is more sustainable, it is also useful for us to share learning points from our respective pilots on sustainable aviation fuel and exchange views on broader approaches in relation to policies and regulations, industry development, infrastructure provision and new jobs and skills."

5            Mr Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive of the UK CAA, said, “Civil aviation thrives on its global connectivity and as regulators it’s vital that we have the same international relationships to share and learn from each other. As aviation continues its recovery from COVID we can work with colleagues in CAAS to help make that return safe and build on the opportunity we all have to make the industry more sustainable."

[1] The SAF Policy Toolkit developed by the Ambassadors Group may be accessed at https://www.weforum.org/reports/clean-skies-for-tomorrow-sustainable-aviation-fuel-policy-toolkit.

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 the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
The CAA is the UK's aviation, aerospace and spaceflight regulator. Its activities include: making sure that the aerospace industry meets the highest technical and operational safety standards; preventing holidaymakers from being stranded abroad or losing money because of tour operator insolvency; planning and regulating all UK airspace; and regulating airports, air traffic services and airlines and providing advice on aviation policy.