Speech by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow at the Changi Aviation Summit 2026 Opening Ceremony

Your Excellencies,

Mr Toshiyuki Onuma, President of the ICAO Council,

Mr Willie Walsh, Director-General of IATA,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.          Good morning. It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to the opening of the Changi Aviation Summit 2026.

a.          This is the third edition of the Summit, which we host in conjunction with the Singapore Air Show every two years.

b.          The Changi Aviation Summit brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to shape the future of aviation.

2.          This is my first Summit as Transport Minister, and Singapore’s first major aviation event since the ICAO Council elections in September last year.

a.          I am happy to welcome the global aviation community to Singapore.

b.          I am especially pleased to welcome Mr Onuma. This is the first Summit he is attending since taking office as President, and Singapore is honoured to be hosting him.

A Rules-Based International Aviation System 

3.          The theme of this year’s Summit is “Rising Above Disruption: Building the Aviation Ecosystem of Tomorrow”.

a.          This theme speaks directly to the realities that we face today.

b.          We are operating in a world that is more fragmented, contested, and uncertain.

c.          Nationalistic tendencies are asserted more forcefully. The rules-based international order is under tremendous pressure. And the instinct, in times like these, is to turn inward.

d.          But the history of aviation reminds us why this instinct must be resisted.

e.          Global aviation did not grow by accident. It grew because countries agreed to abide by common rules, collective standards, and communal principles.

f.           Safety, efficiency, and trust were placed above individual circumstances.

4.          This is why institutions like ICAO matter.

a.          Singapore has long been a strong supporter of ICAO and its mission.

b.          We have served on the ICAO Council since 2003, and the Air Navigation Commission since 2006.

5.          Our commitment to ICAO is grounded in our own history and experience.

a.          After the Second World War, ICAO established the principles that underpin modern aviation – including regulations, standards, and procedures for civil aviation.

b.          This gave small countries like Singapore the opportunity to grow.

c.          ICAO established Flight Information Regions (FIRs) for air navigation safety. FIRs were designed on the basis of efficiency of air traffic flows, not based on territorial boundaries.

i.          ICAO also established delegation arrangements which were required for safe and efficient operations across FIRs.

ii.          This was vital. Major airports like Changi, Heathrow, and Schiphol would not be able to function and grow without delegation arrangements, which enable the safe sequencing of arrivals and departures of aeroplanes.

The Importance of the Singapore Air Hub

6.          Singapore is a small city-state with no hinterland and a population of only a few million people.

a.          Our air hub is existential for us.

b.         Our ability to participate meaningfully in the global economy depends on our connections to the world.

c.          Air travel, and Changi Airport, has allowed Singapore to overcome our geographical limits.

7.          Changi Airport is connected to over 170 cities across five continents today.

a.          These links support our role as a trusted gateway between regions.

b.          The aviation sector directly contributes to about 5% of Singapore’s GDP, and employs over 60,000 workers.

c.          But more importantly, the air hub enables the rest of our economy to grow – across manufacturing, tourism, logistics, wholesale trade, and much more.

8.          Over the next decade, our ambition is to grow Singapore's network to more than 200 city links.

a.          According to ICAO, global air traffic is expected to nearly triple by 2050. 

b.           Asia Pacific is expected to lead this growth, and Singapore wants to be well-placed to capture the opportunities this will bring.

9.          This is why we are building a fifth terminal, Terminal 5 (T5) – to capitalise on the strong long-term growth in air travel, and strengthen Singapore’s position as a global node.

10.          Transport infrastructure requires long-term planning over years or even decades.

a.          We started conceptualising T5 in the early 2010s. Construction started last year and is targeted for completion by the mid-2030s.

b.          When ready, T5 will enable Singapore to serve about 50 million more passengers per year.

11.          Alongside T5, we are also investing in the Changi East Urban District and Changi East Industrial Zone, to strengthen our position as an air hub.

a          The Changi East Urban District will be a gateway to global opportunities. Singaporeans and visitors will be able to connect, work, and play in this mixed-use district.

b.          The Changi East Industrial Zone will complement this by increasing our air cargo handling capacity, to bolster our role as a leading logistics hub.

12.          We will also continue to invest in our aviation workforce.

a.          The Government has set aside $200 million for the OneAviation Manpower Fund to support initiatives to attract, develop, and retain more workers in the sector.

b.          While continuing to work with our Institutes of Higher Learning to strengthen education and training pathways into aviation for our students.

13.          Singapore is also committed to strengthening capabilities across the global aviation community, which will benefit all states.

a.          Through the Singapore Aviation Academy, we have trained close to 170,000 participants from over 200 countries and territories.

i.          Many of these were through the Singapore-ICAO Developing Countries Training Programme, established in 2001.

b.          Later today, Singapore and ICAO will sign a new Annex to the MOU on Cooperation in Leadership and Management Training to deliver the Directors-General of Civil Aviation Programme on Air Navigation Services.

c.          Singapore is a small country, but will do what we can to give back to the global community.

Innovation and Sustainability

14.          Looking ahead, the aviation sector will continue to face challenges.

a.          Operational demands are increasingly complex, and supply shocks may be harder to navigate. 

b.          Climate change also brings challenges. Weather patterns are more volatile, while aviation decarbonisation is costly.

15.          Given Singapore’s limited land and labour resources, we cannot solve our challenges by ourselves by adding more resources.

a.          We need to innovate, rethink how we build, and how we collaborate.

b.          While also transforming to operate in a carbon-constrained world, to ensure that future generations can continue to fly.

16.          Singapore is preparing ourselves for the future.

17.          First, we are designing our airport to be technology-intensive, not manpower-intensive.

a.          Many of you likely experienced this firsthand when you arrived at Changi Airport.

b.          Changi was the first airport to fully implement passport-less clearance for immigration in 2024.

c.          Travellers can now clear immigration using facial biometrics. The average processing time per traveller is 10 seconds. And instead of focusing on routine tasks, our immigration officers can focus on responsibilities that require human judgment and expertise.

d.          Changi Airport also launched fully driverless baggage tractors at the airside last month.

e.          The autonomous tractors can operate reliably in different weather conditions, and free up our workers to take on higher-skilled roles that draw on experience, judgment, and decision making. Such automation efforts also set the stage for how T5 will be operated.

18.          Second, we are investing in innovations with global application.

a.          For example, CAAS and our National Environment Agency launched the Aviation Meteorological Programme last year to strengthen how we manage the impact of weather on aviation operations.

b.          By improving our ability to deal with conditions like lightning, turbulence, and severe weather, we can better support air traffic control, airlines, and airports.

c.          CAAS has also set up an International Aviation Lab that brings together aircraft manufacturers, and airport, airline, and ground handler partners to develop innovative solutions for the transformation of airport operations globally.

d.          The Lab is starting with two projects: automated aircraft turnaround and automated towing and pushback.

e.          We hope to generate more collaboration with public and private partners through the Lab

i.          This is why, at this Summit, CAAS will be signing MOUs with partners such as Airbus, CFM International, GE Aerospace, and Causal Labs, on various initiatives to tackle key aspects of aviation's future.

19.          Third, we are determined to be sustainable.

a.          Singapore is committed to doing our part for global sustainability efforts. We support international frameworks under ICAO, including the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, as the foundation for collective progress.

b.          In 2024, we launched the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint, setting out our long-term roadmap for aviation decarbonisation.

i.          We have introduced a SAF levy on departing flights, effective later this year, to signal demand to suppliers.

ii.          And established the Singapore Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company (SAFCo) which will procure SAF for flights departing Singapore.

c.          These moves help to build our local SAF ecosystem.

i.          Keppel and Aster have recently signed a Project Development Partnership Agreement for Singapore's first SAF plant using the ethanol-to-jet pathway.

ii.          This plant will have a production capacity of 100,000 tonnes per annum.

20.          Together, these efforts reflect our belief in looking ahead and investing for the future, to ensure that aviation continues to thrive in a sustainable manner.

Conclusion

21.        Let me conclude.

22.        The success of modern aviation has depended on international cooperation, common rules, and a shared commitment to safety, connectivity, and innovation.

23.        In a more fragmented world, these foundations matter even more.

a.          Each of us here has a role to play to strengthen the system that allows aviation to remain a force for progress.

24.        If we succeed, future generations can continue to benefit from an interconnected world, just as we have.

25.        I look forward to the discussions over the rest of this Summit, and I hope to see many of you in person at the opening of the Singapore Airshow tomorrow as well. Thank you very much.