08 April 2022 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has unveiled Singapore’s first National Aviation Safety Plan, setting out Singapore’s priorities and the 50 actions the Singapore aviation sector will take over the next three years to further strengthen the safety regime. The National Aviation Safety Plan aims to ensure that flying remains safe as aviation recovers from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Safety Objectives
2 Under the National Aviation Safety Plan 2022-2024, Singapore will strive for high standards in aviation safety, underpinned by a strong safety regime, safety culture and safety leadership. It seeks to achieve five safety objectives:
a) Enhance the level of safety of Singapore’s aviation operations, and in particular, to maintain zero fatal accidents involving entities under its safety oversight;
b) Ensure that Singapore’s aviation safety oversight and investigative regimes are effective, robust, aligned with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices and keep pace with industry developments;
c) Ensure that hazards in Singapore’s aviation operating environment are proactively identified, and related risks assessed and mitigated to as low as reasonably practicable;
d) Foster a positive safety culture and strengthen cooperation among industry stakeholders; and
e) Pursue and advocate for the enhancement of aviation safety regionally and globally.
Safety Challenges
3 To achieve these objectives, the National Aviation Safety Plan has identified existing and emerging challenges that the Singapore aviation sector will pay attention to. They include:
a) Five safety risks inherent in aviation operations globally, namely runway incursion, runway excursion, mid-air collision, loss of control in-flight and controlled flight into terrain;
b) Two safety risks of particular relevance to Singapore, namely systems component failure and ground occurrences resulting in damage;
c) COVID-19 associated risks, such as decrease in competency of flight crew, airworthiness of aircraft returned to service after prolonged inactivity and decrease in organisational focus on safety; and
d) Other risks associated with changes in the operating environment and the use of technology.
Safety Priorities and Action Plan
4 The National Aviation Safety Plan outlines four strategic priorities, namely mitigate operational safety risks, enhance regulatory regime, enable enterprise and innovation, and contribute to aviation safety globally and regionally to address these challenges. In line with these priorities, the Safety Plan establishes an action plan with 50 actions covering five areas, namely operational safety, policies and rules, safety management, data and digitalisation, and regional and global aviation safety.
5 The National Aviation Safety Plan is part of CAAS’s larger effort to strengthen Singapore’s safety regime, culture and leadership. It complements Singapore’s State Safety Programme which articulates Singapore’s regulatory philosophy, values and commitments to achieve our safety objectives. The State Safety Programme was first published in August 2017. The updated second edition was released in March 2022. In 2021, CAAS also conducted the first-ever industry-wide survey for the aviation sector. Survey found that 95% of respondents across various domains agreed or strongly agreed that there is strong, positive aviation safety culture in Singapore. In March 2022, CAAS launched Singapore’s first-ever Safety Charter for the aviation sector. To date, 80 organisations have signed the charter.
6 Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS, said, “As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and ramp up operations, aviation safety is a non-negotiable and the top priority for the Singapore aviation sector. We have in Singapore a strong safety regime, culture and leadership. But COVID-19 has presented unprecedented challenges and we cannot take safety for granted. The National Aviation Safety Plan identifies clear priorities and galvanises the aviation sector to work together to ensure aviation safety for the travelling public.”
Encl.
– 1st edition Singapore National Aviation Safety Plan