Appointment of Chairman of The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

1.         The Acting Minister for Transport, Mr Jeffrey Siow, has appointed Mr Ng Chee Khern (黄志勤) Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Board with effect from 1 August 2026. Mr Ng will take over from Mr Edmund Cheng Wai Wing (郑维荣).  

Outgoing Chairman: Mr Edmund Cheng

2.         Mr Cheng served for more than nine years on the CAAS Board, first as Deputy Chairman from 1 December 2016 and later as Chairman from 1 July 2018.

3.         Mr Cheng has played an instrumental role in strengthening Singapore’s position as an aviation hub. Under his chairmanship, CAAS steered Singapore’s aviation sector through the COVID‑19 pandemic and rebuilt the hub to handle a record high of nearly 70 million passenger movements and over two million tonnes of air cargo in 2025.

4.         Under Mr Cheng’s stewardship, CAAS worked on many new initiatives to position the hub for the future, such as the development of the upcoming Changi Airport Terminal 5, Changi East Industrial Zone and Changi East Urban District. In 2025, CAAS announced that it would commit S$1 billion to catalyse action and partnership in the four areas of connectivity, technology, infrastructure and manpower. CAAS has also built new capabilities to make the Singapore aviation hub a more sustainable and technology-enabled one, through the launch of the Air Transport Industry Transformation Map in 2023 and the launch of the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint in 2024. CAAS has also set up new entities such as the International Centre for Aviation Innovation, the Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre and the Singapore Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company, to discharge new functions.

5.         Mr Cheng also played a key role in building CAAS to be a leader in civil aviation, a strong tripartite partner and an employer of choice. In 2025, Singapore was re-elected to the International Civil Aviation Organization Council with a record number of votes. In 2026, CAAS was awarded the Plaque of Commendation (Star) by the National Trades Union Congress for its contribution to tripartite relations. In the same year, CAAS was recognised as one of the Top 300 employers under the Ministry of Manpower’s Singapore Opportunity Index and one of the top employers under the Straits Times’ Singapore’s Best Employers, ranking 4^th in the Government Service category and 83^rd overall.

6.         The Ministry of Transport and CAAS would like to put on record their deep appreciation to Mr Cheng for his distinguished service and invaluable contributions to CAAS and Singapore’s aviation sector.

Incoming Chairman: Mr Ng Chee Khern

7.         Mr Ng Chee Khern is currently the Director and Chief Executive Officer of ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and a member of the Board of Trustees. Mr Ng has served as the Deputy Chairman of CAAS since 1 January 2026.

8.         Mr Ng began his career in the public service in 1984, and held key appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health, Smart Nation and Digital Government Group in the Prime Minister’s Office, and Ministry of Manpower. In 2016, Mr Ng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold). Mr Ng’s extensive leadership experience will greatly benefit CAAS in its work to strengthen Singapore’s position as a global aviation hub.

Annex [PDF, 226.72 KB]