Written Reply by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung to Parliamentary Question on Per-Flight Environmental Tax and Retaining Pilot’s Skills via Flight Simulators instead of Launching “Flights To Nowhere”

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     whether the Ministry has considered imposing a per-flight environmental tax with regard to SIA's proposed plan to operate "flights to nowhere"; and 

b.     whether the Ministry has considered suggesting to SIA to have pilots retain skills via simulators and have flight crews' salaries be further supplemented by the estimated additional environmental costs via a Government subsidy, instead of operating such flights.

Reply by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung:

1.     I thank the Member for his questions. I will address them in my reply at the 6 October 2020 Parliament sitting.