At the 3rd Singapore-Japan Dialogue on Aviation Collaboration co-chaired by Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Director-General Han Kok Juan and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) Senior Deputy Director-General Onuma Toshiyuki, in Kansai, Japan on 14 and 15 November 2024, the two civil aviation authorities agreed to deepen collaboration in air connectivity, sustainable aviation, aviation safety, air traffic management, aviation innovation, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM), to serve rising demand for global air travel which is expected to at least double over the next 20 years.
Air connectivity
Air travel between Singapore and Japan has recovered strongly over the last year. As of November 2024, the number of weekly flights between the two countries – 165 weekly passenger services operated by seven air carriers – was at close to 90% of pre-COVID levels, compared to 70% a year ago. CAAS and JCAB expect air travel between the two countries to fully recover in 2025 and agreed to work together to further grow air connectivity and improve flight punctuality and efficiency to better serve passengers.
Sustainable aviation
Recognising the important contribution of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to achieving net zero aviation emissions by 2050, CAAS and JCAB will explore opportunities to open more SAF feedstocks and production pathways for the region and contribute to the expansion of supply of CORSIA Eligible Fuels (CEF). Besides SAF, CAAS and JCAB will also start conversation for future collaborative activities on hydrogen as a complementary pathway for decarbonisation, such as sharing information on the deployment of hydrogen-powered airside vehicles. As part of the Dialogue, JCAB hosted CAAS to visits to hydrogen-filling stations for hydrogen fuel-cell powered ground support vehicles at Osaka International Airport and Kansai International Airport.
Aviation safety
CAAS and JCAB are working together to learn from the Haneda incident and on measures to enhance aviation safety, particularly runway safety, as air travel volume grows. These include harnessing technology to prevent potential runway incursions, implementing a runway safety action plan to enhance runway safety in a comprehensive manner and strengthening collaboration amongst all relevant stakeholders which impact runway safety, including airlines, airport operators, ground handling companies and air navigation service providers.
Air Traffic Management (ATM)
CAAS and JCAB shared initiatives in User Preferred Route (UPR) which allow pilots to choose more efficient and direct routes to their destinations without having to stick to predefined routes, thus saving flight times and reducing carbon emissions.
Both parties agree to encourage the adoption of UPR in the region. Japan introduced the Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) Landing System (GLS) which is under operational trial at Haneda Airport. GLS is a state-of-the-art technology toenhance the safety and efficiency of aircraft landings using satellite-based guidance information. Japan also provided updates on the status of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) in Japan and both sides will cooperate to mitigate the risks.
Aviation innovation
CAAS and JCAB agreed to work together to better leverage technology to increase capacity and productivity, to meet rising demand for air travel. On 10 November 2024, Narita Airport has signed a Joinder Agreement to join the International Aviation Lab, alongside Airbus, Boeing, CAAS, Changi Airport Group (CAG), International Airlines Group (IAG), International Centre for Aviation Innovation (ICAI), SATS Ltd, Singapore Airlines and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The International Aviation Lab is set up to develop innovative solutions for the transformation of airport operations around the world. Narita Airport’s participation will allow the Lab to benefit from Japan’s wealth of expertise in airport operations and its technology ecosystem. As part of the 3rd Singapore-Japan Dialogue, CAAS visited the Osaka International Airport and Kansai International Airport to view various airport innovation projects including the Mototok pushback tug and the Automated Passenger Loading Bridge.
UAS and AAM
Recognising the rapid advancement and tremendous opportunities in this field, CAAS and JCAB will work together to develop robust regulations to facilitate and support the safe integration of UAS and AAM operations with conventional aviation in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore and Japan are active members of the Meeting of Asia-Pacific Regulators on AAM and UAS, working alongside 22 other Asia-Pacific States and Administrations to develop AAM and UAS reference materials which will be published by mid-2025.8 The annual Singapore-Japan Dialogue on Aviation Collaboration follows the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in 2022 which established a strategic framework for civil aviation collaboration between Singapore and Japan.
Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS said, “The 3rd Singapore-Japan Dialogue marks a significant milestone in Singapore’s civil aviation partnership with Japan, with a shared commitment for the two major air hubs in the Asia-Pacific region to work together to share expertise to position for growth and meet rising demand for air travel. CAAS also warmly welcomes Narita Airport joining the International Aviation Lab. Its participation will allow the Lab to benefit from Japan’s deep technological and operational expertise and is an affirmation of the transformative value the Lab can bring to airport operations around the world.”
Mr Onuma Toshiyuki, Senior Deputy Director-General of JCAB expressed his satisfaction and appreciation for having witnessed great progress of cooperation to address many challenges. He emphasized that two authorities have paved the way for the future collaboration through three meetings they have held so far. He also wished to further continue this cooperative action and to have a lot of opportunities to discuss individually or in the context of the regional or global meetings.
