Singapore, US to explore viability of ‘green lanes’ to advance sustainable aviation

SINGAPORE: Singapore and the United States are looking into developing “green lanes” between the two countries in a move to advance sustainable aviation, said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a joint media release on Thursday (Sep 29).

This is part of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed by Singapore’s Transport Minister S Iswaran and US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday on the sidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assembly held in Montreal, Canada.

Under the agreement, Singapore and the US will collaborate and exchange information in areas such as policy and regulation, industry development, future infrastructure planning and provision, as well as workforce transformation, said MOT and CAAS.

The agreement will drive the research and development, test bedding and trial of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) as well as facilitate the development of secure sustainable fuels supply chains, the authorities added.

It will also encourage the gradual uptake of SAF-operated flights by corporate and individual travellers, they said.

“Singapore and the United States share mutual interests in advancing aviation sustainability, particularly as climate change is a global challenge that directly affects international civil aviation,” said Mr Iswaran, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.

“This Memorandum of Cooperation is a testament of our shared vision to foster such partnerships, and we look forward to working closely with the United States in advancing aviation sustainability,” he said.

He added that coordinated state action and collaboration between the public and private sectors is key to drive and support global climate action.

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR INTERNATIONAL AVIATION

During the assembly, Mr Iswaran also highlighted Singapore’s firm commitment to support ICAO in its efforts to build a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future for international aviation, MOT said in a separate news release.

“Singapore continues to stand ready to work with all stakeholders to contribute to these efforts for the benefit of all States,” added MOT.

Together with Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Amy Khor, who also attended the assembly, Mr Iswaran met with Mr Salvatore Sciacchitano, president of the ICAO council and Mr Juan Carlos Salazar, who is ICAO's secretary-general.

Mr Iswaran and Dr Khor reaffirmed Singapore’s strong support for the ICAO’s work and leadership, including in areas of aviation recovery, sustainability, and training, said MOT.

In his statement during the ICAO assembly, the Transport Minister said climate change is an "existential challenge” for all states.

“The global aviation community must adopt sustainability as an urgent long-term priority and act decisively to reduce the sector’s emissions,” Mr Iswaran said.

“Under the leadership of ICAO, the sector has taken important steps in this regard and we must continue working together to sustain the momentum in decarbonising air travel.”

Wrapping up his statement, Mr Iswaran noted that other challenges continue to lie ahead even as countries emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To prevail, we will need to address the critical areas of capacity, talent, technology, and sustainability, while strengthening the aviation system’s fundamentals,” he added.

On Wednesday, Singapore also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom to update the Open Skies Agreement between the two countries and work together to promote the sustainable development of aviation.

The agreement allows air carriers to operate any number of flights between and beyond both signatory states.

In the joint media release on Thursday, MOT and CAAS said the agreement with the US is “another step forward” in Singapore’s sustainability aviation journey.

Other efforts include a one-year pilot - starting February 2022 - on the use of sustainable aviation fuel at Changi Airport.

An agreement on sustainable aviation with New Zealand was also signed in April.

Last week, the International Advisory Panel submitted a report on sustainable air hub detailing 15 key initiatives to tackle decarbonisation across the airport, airline and air traffic management domains.

“MOT and CAAS will study the recommendations and incorporate them into the development of the sustainable air hub blueprint,” said the authorities, adding that CAAS will publish the blueprint next year to provide a decarbonisation roadmap for Singapore.