MALAYSIA wants to take over control of airspace over the southern peninsula, which Singapore has been overseeing since the1970s.

The current arrangement was brokered by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in 1973, and was agreed by states in the region and approved by the world aviation body’s council.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said it was time to review the arrangement after over 45 years, adding that Malaysia was ready to take over the responsibility.

“We have the technological readiness. We have invested a lot on the equipment,” he told a joint press conference with his Singaporean counterpart, Khaw Boon Wan at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport today.

Khaw is in Malaysia as part of the Singapore delegation attending a leaders’ retreat hosted by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

High committee to handle review

Loke said a high committee has been set up to review the existing airspace arrangement.

The committee will be chaired by Malaysia’s Transport Ministry secretary-general, and his counterpart from Singapore.

“We will be setting timelines, terms of references and having periodic meetings to move things forward.

“We hope this review will bear fruit,” Loke said, adding that the matter was a high priority for Malaysia.

Singapore keeps an open mind

Khaw said Singapore would approach the matter with an open mind, adding that with good will and compromise, both parties should come up with a win-win solution without undermining each others’ core interests.

“We will negotiate in good faith, and keep an open mind to Malaysia’s aspirations and legitimate concerns.”

Khaw also said airspace management were complicated matters.

“Within minutes, you can be flying into another (country’s) airspace). There are fewer flight information regions (FIRs) than countries in the world.

“Many countries may find it logical, safer and more efficient to outsource airspace management to another party.

“To us, the key point is air traffic growth and how we can squeeze in as many flights into the airspace as safely and efficiently as possible,” he said.

Khaw also noted the limitations Singapore, an island state, would face in meeting future air traffic demands.

He said in a few years, Asean could easily be a top five global economy; and Malaysia would be better able to tap into the growing demands of air travel.

“Singapore, fairly speaking, is very limited. Our third runway expansion at Changi is the maximum, but KLIA has huge tracts of land for expansion to build more terminals and runways. 

“Your growth is good for me. If more people are attracted to visit KL, some of them will surely make side trips to Singapore,” he said, adding that he believed in prospering one’s neighbour.

“We can achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. It’s never a zero-sum game. With creativity and good will, we can forge win-win solutions.”

Alternative procedures for Seletar

Khaw also said the civil aviation authorities of Singapore and Malaysia would work together to develop a GPS-based instrument approach procedures for the Seletar Airport to replace the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures, which were withdrawn over the weekend.

Malaysia had previously objected to the ILS procedures, which prevented budget airline FireFly from flying into Seletar.

Khaw said the alternative procedures would be introduced for both Pasir Gudang in the north and Singapore in the south.

“This is because airplanes take off and land into the wind. With northeast and southwest wind directions at different times of the year, we need both approaches.

“We will finalise it. We expect to publish the procedures soon, which will enhance safety of flights at Seletar,” he said.

Loke said Firefly will start flying to Seletar on April 21.

He said Malindo Air was also interested in flying to Seletar, and was applying to Singapore aviation authorities. – April 8, 2019.