Speech by Ms Sun Xueling Senior Minister of State for Transport and Senior Minister of State for National Development at the Women in Aviation International (WAI) Singapore Chapter Gala Dinner

Good evening

Women in Aviation International Singapore Chapter (WAI-SG) President Ms Lou-Ann Seet, 

My Parliamentary colleague Ms Poh Li San,

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Director-General Mr Han Kok Juan,

Board members,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.     Thank you for inviting me to join you at tonight’s Gala Dinner. It is an honour to be here amongst so many ladies – and  gentlemen as well - who care deeply about aviation and are part of this powerful network of change-makers. 

Aviation – an important sector with growth opportunities

2.      Aviation is more than just a sector of our economy – it drives our economy and connects us to the world. Changi Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, connecting Singapore to around 170 cities today and we are still continuing to build up those air links. We facilitate travel and trade; we enable entire industries, from tourism to logistics and manufacturing, and all these other sectors thrive because of aviation.  

3.     The aviation sector is still growing. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported that the demand for air travel will double by 2040, and Asia-Pacific is expected to account for two-thirds of passenger growth over the next two decades. Singapore is well-positioned to ride the wave, thanks to all of you as we continue to invest in our future with the new Changi East development. This will add about 50 million passenger handling capacity annually. 

4.     Beyond the passenger terminals, we will also increase Singapore’s air cargo handling capacity from 3 to 5.4 million tonnes per annum with the new Changi East Industrial Zone. This will be complemented by the Airport Logistics Park 2, and to top it off, the Changi East Urban District will be a new lifestyle and business hub located at the doorstep of Terminal 5. So loads of exciting developments and we can look forward to the new spaces for Singaporeans and international visitors to connect, work, and play, further cementing Changi’s reputation as a dynamic gateway to global opportunities.

Building a supportive community in a highly interdependent sector

5.     Now aviation is the ultimate team sport – because every player while highly specialised in your own trade, is still highly interdependent on others. The aircraft is a marvel of engineering, and yet it does not fly simply because of one brilliant mind. It soars safely across the skies, only because thousands of highly skilled individuals, including our ground crew, air traffic controllers, safety inspectors, aircraft engineers and many more perform your role with precision to enable the person next to them, and the person after, to do the same. Our strength does not lie in our individual expertise, but in our seamless coordination and teamwork together.

6.     Today, the Singapore aviation sector directly employs over 60,000 workers across various functions. This includes the workforce from our airlines, airport operator, ground handling companies, aircraft and system maintenance, air traffic control, immigration and much more. We are all a part of the future of Singapore’s aviation, and we need to ensure that the sector taps on all the available talent in Singapore regardless of race or in this case, gender.

7.     To this end, it is important that we build a supportive and inclusive aviation community. WAI-SG has been critical in bringing in the unique female perspectives to aviation, providing additional support and clearing the runway for our fellow female colleagues to lead. Can we at this point, perhaps turn to one another, perhaps the gentleman to the lady beside you, the lady to the gentleman beside you and say thank you very much for your close partnership and teamwork. 

WAI-SG Mentorship Programme

8.     I would like to at this point highlight an initiative by WAI-SG, which is the WAI-SG mentorship programme. This gives young mentees access to valuable perspectives beyond their organisations. 

9.     Many WAI-SG members have benefited from this programme. Just now before I stepped into this ballroom, I met two of them, Ms Cynthia Tan as well as Ms Jessie Koh. Now Ms Cynthia Tan was a crucial part of the leadership team at WAI-SG, and she was mentored by Mr. Alphonsus Tan, Head of HR Development at Airbus. Cynthia has led WAI-SG to complete over 30 outreach events, including the recent inaugural event – ‘Gen Z Careers in Aviation Day’ held at Singapore Polytechnic earlier in January this year. This is how she has described her mentor, “inspiring, nurturing and understanding how to leverage personal strengths”. Can we give a round of applause to Cynthia as well as Mr Alphonsus Tan.

10.    Cynthia has since handed the reins to Ms Jessie Koh earlier this year. Jessie  is another successful mentee who has a very dedicated mentor – Mr. Mathieu Pere, CEO of Safran ED Services Asia. Jessie is a Security Manager (Outreach and Development) at Singapore Airlines. Jessie plays an important role to ensure that curriculum and courseware remain relevant, and that crew and staff members keep up with the latest security developments, amongst many other important roles to keep our flights going safely. She wants to say a big thank you to her mentor, Mr Mathieu Pere.

11.    The success of our mentees is only possible with the generosity of the mentors such as Alphonsus and Mathieu. Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication and we look forward to your participation in the future batches! 

12.    The success of the mentorship programme does not just end here. The programme has since developed to form a beautiful virtuous cycle. Ms Solenne Bertin, Head of Airbus Avionics and Ms Michelle Low, Principal for Asia at IATA Consulting have both journeyed from being mentees to mentors themselves and this is the definitive proof of concept for this programme. I hope the success stories between the mentors and mentees will continue to flourish, and may you continue to bond, connect and let the network effect work its magic. 

13.    I would like to congratulate WAI-SG on reaching the important milestone of one hundred female mentees. They have all undergone WAI-SG’s comprehensive year-long programme, with compelling stories of confidence built, crossroads navigated, and careers accelerated.  

Sector wide initiatives with Government as a partner

14.    Now at this point, I would just like to touch on how the Government is a partner in this journey. As a OneAviation community, let us build on the momentum and truly work together on a wide scale to seize the vast opportunities ahead. The Government is committed to being a steadfast partner in this endeavour. 

15.    I now look at our DG from CAAS Mr Han Kok Juan because CAAS partners WAI-SG on various youth and women outreach activities including the flagship event – ‘Girls in Aviation Day’ at Temasek Polytechnic and the Gen Z Careers in Aviation Day. The events have attracted around 1,500 attendees, with more than half of them being young girls and women. Building upon CAAS’ MOU signed with WAI-SG last year, I am also happy to share that CAAS will be supporting WAI-SG to amplify your outreach and scale of activities through a support grant over the next two years. 

16.    Also as announced in March this year, CAAS will commit $1 billion over the next five years to catalyse action and partnership in the four areas of Connectivity, Infrastructure, Innovation and Technology, and Manpower. 

17.    Ecosystem-level investments in infrastructure and technology will assist our workers in their roles and raise productivity. CAAS is planning ahead with the development of a 10-year technology roadmap. I would like to ask for your support to trial, adopt and scale technologies which are ripe for implementation in your companies. Every effort will contribute to making the sector more efficient and more attractive. 

18.    Last, but not least, as the industry evolves with the times and advancements in technology, the workforce will need to reskill and upskill. So do tap on the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Government initiatives such as the Workforce Singapore’s Career Conversion Programmes for job redesign and reskilling efforts, to develop fulfilling careers in the sector.

19.    In conclusion, the future of aviation is not just about higher traffic or more advanced aircraft. It will prosper when supported by a community that is innovative, resilient and supportive. To all the mentors who guide, and to all the mentees out there who inspire, and to the WAI-SG community that brings them all together, I wish all of you continued success! 

20.    Thank you very much!