17 May 2022 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)
Singapore and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have concluded a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to extend the Singapore-ICAO Developing Countries Training Programme (DCTP) for another three years from 2022 to 2025. The MOU was signed by Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, and Mr Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of the Council of the ICAO on 17 May 2022.
2 The DCTP was first established in 2001. Since then, Singapore has trained some 1,500 participants from 130 ICAO Member States. Under this new MOU, Singapore will provide 330 fellowships and 10 scholarships valued at US$1.6 million (or about S$2.2 million) over the next three years. This is part of Singapore’s commitment towards the development of global aviation professionals. Aviation leaders and professionals from developing ICAO Member States can apply for the fellowships and scholarships to attend specialised aviation programmes at the Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA), the training arm of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).
3 Fellowship recipients can choose from a suite of training programmes conducted at SAA, ranging from aviation management to aviation safety and security management. Scholarship recipients will attain an SAA Diploma in Civil Aviation Management or Aviation Safety Management. The Diploma programmes provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of how the various integral elements in the aviation industry interface with one another and equip graduands with the skills to manage the diverse challenges of a dynamic civil aviation environment. SAA will also be introducing new training programmes that will help aviation professionals distil lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and acquire new skills to rebuild aviation to become safer, more sustainable and more resilient.
4 Minister Iswaran said, “Capacity building is critical in rebuilding our aviation workforce and to prepare them to manage the demands of the future. Singapore has long been an advocate of human capital development, which is critical for the benefits of aviation to be reaped by all States. The renewal of the Singapore-ICAO Developing Countries Training Programme for another three years will support the growth and development of future aviation leaders and professionals.”
5 Mr Sciacchitano said, “As global aviation begins its recovery from the impacts of the pandemic, enhancing ICAO compliance is key to ensuring air connectivity is able to act as a safe and effective catalyst for sustainable recovery and development, nationally and globally. The renewal of this cooperation between ICAO and Singapore is very important to this objective, and to our broader goals to enhance the resilience of the global flight network in the face of future catastrophic events.”
6 The MOU was signed at the Changi Aviation Summit (CAS) 2022 held at Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Jointly organised by the Singapore Ministry of Transport (MOT) and CAAS, the two-day summit is a key aviation event held in the region and gathers over 300 global aviation leaders and professionals in Singapore to discuss key aviation challenges, such as reviving aviation, aviation sustainability and inclusive innovation.
7 In conjunction with the Summit, the inaugural run of the ICAO-Singapore Directors-General of Civil Aviation (DGCAs) Programme on Aviation Resilience will be held on 18 – 19 May 2022. This programme, to be attended by over 40 DGCAs, will be a platform for them to share experiences and discuss common challenges and opportunities for collaboration among States, as aviation recovers. Topics that will be covered include lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation safety, sustainability and resilience. Subsequent runs of the programme this year will be held in Turkey, Dominican Republic and Canada respectively.