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Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
Media Release

CAAS to Launch Three Sector-Wide Manpower Initiatives to Grow and Develop the Aviation Workforce

4 March 2026

Initiatives will reduce time needed to acquire professional licenses, enhance workplace environments and support career development for new entrants

           The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will be launching three manpower initiatives to grow and develop the Singapore aviation workforce to meet rising demand for air travel. The new initiatives will a) reduce the time graduates need to get professional licenses by integrating professional training and undergraduate education; b) enhance workplace environments and experiences; and c) support the career development of new entrants. These initiatives, which will be co-funded by CAAS, will be the first three initiatives to tap on CAAS’ $200 million[1] OneAviation Manpower Fund, to support manpower attraction, development and retention over five years.

Growing and Developing Aviation Manpower
2           Global air traffic is set to double by 2040, with the Asia-Pacific region expected to lead this growth. Singapore is well-positioned to capture these opportunities. Today, the Singapore aviation sector directly employs over 60,000 workers across a wide range of roles, from air traffic controllers managing our busy skies to engineers maintaining our aircraft. With Terminal 5, aviation jobs will continue to grow, including in emerging areas such as data science, systems operations and sustainability. To support this growth, the sector is stepping up recruitment efforts, including through local community aviation fairs such as the East Side OneAviation Careers Fair held last weekend at Heartbeat@Bedok.

Integrating Professional Training and Undergraduate Education
3           Today, various Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) in Singapore offer air transport and aerospace engineering qualifications. More than 2,000 students graduate from these programmes each year. Those who apply to become Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) and Licensed Aircraft Engineers (LAEs) need to undergo additional professional training before they can obtain their professional licenses issued by CAAS. The additional training is at least 18 months for ATCOs and up to 44 months for LAEs.

4           CAAS will work with the IHLs and industry partners to integrate professional training and undergraduate education, to get graduates more work-ready and reduce the ‘time-to-solo’ after graduation. The time savings can be achieved through more ‘ready for work’ undergraduate curricula, streamlining overlaps between undergraduate education and professional training, and adopting new instructional technologies and techniques. CAAS will lead a regulatory review of training and licensing requirements, and work with industry and educators to ensure that those who undergo the new curricula still acquire the skills and competencies to meet licensing requirements, and safety and quality are not compromised.

Enhancing Workplace Environments and Experience
5           CAAS, in consultation with aviation companies and unions, will also review workplace environments at Changi Airport and Changi Airfreight Centre, to enhance the working experience for aviation workers. In April 2026, CAAS will launch a study on enhancing infrastructure, improving transport accessibility particularly during late and early hours, smoothening worker movement across restricted areas, and better rest facilities for workers. The study will focus on enhancing and potentially introducing new common amenities and provisions at Changi Airport and Changi Airfreight Centre beyond what individual employers currently provide. It will take a worker-centric approach and identify high impact areas for improvement. CAAS targets to complete the study and review in Q4 2026.

Supporting Career Development
6           Finally, CAAS will work with the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster and its unions, and key aviation employers to launch a sector-wide mentorship scheme to support the career development of new entrants in a range of aviation roles. The mentorship scheme will provide a structured way to support skills and knowledge transfer and help aviation workers who have recently joined the industry find their community and purpose at work. These include providing guidance and resources on career pathways, identifying and closing learning needs and skills gaps, professional goal setting, organisational culture and workplace communication.

7           Further details on each initiative will be announced over the course of the year.

[1] This $200 million is part of the $1 billion announced in March 2025 to catalyse action and partnership in four areas of Connectivity, Infrastructure, Technology, and Manpower over five years.

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 (opens in new tab).

For media queries, please contact:

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
Email: caas_corporate_communications@caas.gov.sg (opens in new tab)