21 March 2023 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)
More than 400 government and industry leaders from 35 countries across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond will meet in Singapore from 22 to 24 March 2023 for the inaugural Asia-Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety. The three-day summit, jointly organised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), has received overwhelming response from regulators, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, air navigation services providers, and other aviation organisations with registered attendance exceeding the initial target of 300 attendees for the inaugural annual regional meeting. Singapore’s Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Mr S Iswaran will open the summit which will feature some 58 distinguished government and industry speakers. Please refer to Annex A for the speaker list.
2 At the summit, government and industry leaders are expected to discuss COVID-19-related and emerging risks to aviation safety as the aviation sector emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and how regional collaboration can help overcome them. These include:
a. Addressing safety risks amidst air travel recovery and global shifts
The ramp up in manpower and operations to meet the sharp increase in air travel demand over the last one year has strained processes at airports, airlines, and air navigation services providers. The stress points are expected to increase in the Asia-Pacific in the coming year, with potential impact on safety, as the region heads towards full recovery. These are accentuated by a world-wide crunch in experienced aviation manpower and supply chain disruptions affecting access to essential equipment and parts.
b. Mitigating disruptions to air navigation services
The provision of essential air navigation services can be disrupted due to system failures, workforce challenges and changes in the operating environment. These can result in massive cancellations and delays and impact safety. Air navigation service providers and airlines would need to work together to put in place coordinated response plans to ensure continuity and safety of air services when such disruptions happen.
c. Incorporating disruptive technologies safely
Automation and technology, such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and robotics, can help augment the aviation workforce and make airport systems more resilient. They need to be deployed and integrated into existing airport processes safely and the aviation workforce need to be properly trained to adapt to new processes and technology. Governments will also need to put in place the necessary regulatory framework to facilitate innovation while ensuring the safe adoption of technology.
d. Addressing climate change safely
Sustainability has become a key focus area for the aviation sector. Climate change and climate action will impact air operations and safety. Governments and industry would need to work together to take necessary mitigating measures and ensure that new processes and technologies to lower the carbon footprint can be incorporated safely.
e. Mental health and wellness of aviation professionals
The pandemic has brought into focus a particular aspect of human factors - physical and mental health and wellness, its impact on the performance of aviation personnel and safety, and the criticality to detect and address any issues early.
3 Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS, said: “The strong attendance at this inaugural summit is testament to how seriously government and industry leaders across the region take aviation safety as we head towards full recovery, and given the cross-border nature of aviation, how we need to work together to address shared challenges. Singapore is honoured to be able to work with the Flight Safety Foundation to provide a platform for regional collaboration to advance aviation safety.”
4 Dr Hassan Shahidi, President and CEO of FSF, said: “I am grateful for the partnership with CAAS in convening this summit at a pivotal moment in the region’s aviation sector recovery. I look forward to engaging with aviation stakeholders from across the region on the important safety issues, challenges and opportunities confronting the industry today and working to advance our common goal of driving continuous safety performance improvements.”
5 More information on the summit programme is available at Annex B.
- List of Speakers
- Asia-Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety Programme