Speech by Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport, Dr Amy Khor at the Women in Aviation International (WAI) Singapore Chapter Gala Dinner

WAI SG President Marie-Louise, 
Her Excellency Ambassador of Ireland, Ms Sarah McGrath,
My Parliamentary colleague, Ms Poh Li San,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.     Thank you very much for being here and it’s wonderful that you have invited me to be part of this event this evening.

2.     Just over a year and a half ago, in the midst of the pandemic and a tremendously challenging period for aviation, Women in Aviation International (WAI) launched its Singapore chapter. It recognised that the aviation sector is critical to every society and economy, and that the sector would bounce back even after being decimated by the pandemic. 

3.     I had the pleasure to witness WAI SG’s launch back then, and I am indeed honoured to be back here tonight. It is heartening to see so many aviation professionals gathered here on this occasion, many of whom have kept faith during the difficult days of the pandemic. Your hard work and dedication are the reasons we were able to keep Singapore connected to the world throughout the pandemic. 

Bright Horizons Ahead

4.     It has been six months since Singapore re-opened its borders to all fully-vaccinated travellers, and there is good reason to be optimistic. Air travel has recovered steadily; the number of flights at Changi Airport has recovered to nearly two-thirds of pre-COVID-19 levels and we expect further recovery to at least 80% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. Just yesterday, the revamped T2 was reopened. So now we have 4 terminals, all in operation.

5.     To gear up for the recovery, our aviation stakeholders have been hard at work rebuilding their manpower. About 4,000 workers joined the sector in the first half of the year, and we expect to add another 4,000 workers to our aviation community by the end of the year. This will bring us to just over 90% of our pre-pandemic workforce by year-end. 

6.     Besides the immediate recovery, there is reason to be optimistic about the long-term growth of aviation. As our regional economies grow and their people prosper, we expect demand for air travel to remain strong, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Indeed, there is a lot to be optimistic for. You can see that after two years of the pandemic and the aviation sector being affected, there is now revenge travel.

7.     At the National Day Rally 2022, PM Lee announced that we have resumed work on Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 (T5). This is a bold step to strengthen Singapore’s position as the world’s premier air hub, giving us the capacity to deepen our connections not only to key global cities, but also to emerging cities in the Asia-Pacific. 

8.     However, infrastructure alone is not sufficient to secure our future. We need a passionate and skilled workforce as the driving force of our aviation industry, to lead us towards brighter horizons. 

A Workforce for the Future

9.     As the sector grows, and our workforce transforms, we have to ask ourselves, how do we attract talent to the sector, and offer them fulfilling careers? How do we redesign jobs to meet the changing air transport landscape?  How do we equip our workforce with the right skills and know-how to take advantage of new opportunities?

10.    For example, the pandemic has accelerated the shift towards contactless, seamless airport operations through the use of robotics and automation. This will engender changes in both passenger processing and ground handling, and will require new skills in our workforce to be able to transform our operations. 

11.    The industry’s pivot towards decarbonisation will require sustainability to be at the core of what we do in aviation. There will be new roles in sustainability policy, green technologies and infrastructure, and therefore new opportunities in our aviation workforce. 

Women in Aviation

12.    With all these, women will be a critical part of this workforce transformation. In Singapore, the female labour force participation has increased over time. In fact, more than half of those in their twenties, who will join the workforce in the 2030s will be women. What this tells us, is that if our industry is to secure its fair share of talent, we must put in equal, if not more, effort to engage young women and grow their passion for aviation. 

13.    Women have excelled in a wide variety of aviation jobs. Singapore had its first female commercial pilot in 2001; today, we have 30 female pilots flying with our local carriers. Within the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), 40% of Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) are women, providing critical round-the-clock air traffic services over Singapore’s airspace. A quarter of engineering positions are held by women, and I am confident that number will increase.

14.    Ms Biyi Lim, General Manager of GTRSG, a joint venture ground handling company between SATS and Air Asia for Terminal 4 (T4) operations, is one such example. 

15.    During the pandemic, Biyi’s team was cross-deployed to support other business units within SATS. With borders reopening and the rapid ramp-up of flights, Biyi personally saw to the rebuilding of the GTRSG team, exercising leadership in planning, recruitment, training, and operations. She also worked closely with CAG and airlines ahead of the reopening of T4, and led the team through a successful cutover in September. My congratulations to Biyi!

16.    Another talent is Ms Liu Yanling from the Changi Airport Group. Her decade-long career in airport operations saw her putting on many hats, from ensuring smooth terminal operations to managing complex airside ones, to deliver the best Changi experience to travellers. She is now the Senior Vice President of Airside Operations, Transformation and Operations Strategy, and plays a crucial role to future-proof operations. Her team is working on innovative projects, such as autonomous baggage tractors and using video analytics at the airside, to optimise resources and improve efficiency. 

17.    By sharing the journeys of these wonderful and inspiring ladies, I hope it will motivate all of us to nurture the aspirations of our young and young-at-heart, to pursue rewarding careers in aviation. 

A Sector Ripe with Opportunity 

18.    WAI’s work, in this regard, is indeed invaluable. I am deeply appreciative of its efforts to celebrate women, and to foster a community that supports women in a traditionally male-dominated sector. WAI’s focus on diversity and inclusion resonates with many; the chapter’s membership, as Marie has said earlier, has grown from 80 to 120 over the span of slightly more than a year – 50% growth.

19.    In particular, I would like to highlight WAI’s mentorship programme. Launched in February this year, it aims to build a support network for women to develop their careers in aviation. WAI’s collaboration with the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) (AAIS) in developing career pathways to strengthen talent acquisition and retention is an example of how it intends to work closely with industry to nurture future aviation professionals and leaders. 

20.    A highly passionate and skilled workforce provides us with the capital to build a strong runway for future growth. Today’s event also seeks to raise funds for this important initiative and I thank all of you for supporting this cause. 

21.    And as Marie had said earlier, there are more exciting events in the pipeline. This coming Saturday is an example. WAI will be organising the 2nd “Girls in Aviation Day”, in hopes of piquing girls’ interest in STEM and aviation. Close to 100 girls aged 8 to 17 years old and their parents will participate in the half-day event hosted at the Singapore Aviation Academy. 

22.    Such touchpoints require sustained efforts, as interests are nurtured over time. The women who will join the workforce when T5 opens are currently in primary and secondary school. But I’m confident that with such efforts, in time to come they will be attracted to join the aviation sector, one ripe with opportunity.  

Conclusion 

23.    In closing, I would like to congratulate WAI on the good work you do to empower women and girls to pursue their dreams and help their careers take off. 

24.    As we build the next chapter of Singapore aviation, I hope WAI will continue to champion opportunities for women in our workforce, and inspire a new generation of women to bring their creativity, innovation and talents into the sector. 

25.    I am delighted to see that WAI has grown from strength to strength, and I encourage all attendees to join their mentorship program. Together, we can build a more fair, diverse, and inclusive aviation ecosystem. 

26.    Have a wonderful evening. Thank you very much.