Asia-Pacific region can lead effort to tackle challenges facing aviation sector: Murali

SINGAPORE – The Asia-Pacific is the leading driver of growth for global air traffic, and it is key for the region to shape the future of the aviation industry, instead of adopting solutions from elsewhere.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai on Sept 23 added that it was foresight and sustained investments – with an eye on future growth – that led to the planned relocation of airports in places like Hong Kong and South Korea from the early 90s.

The decisions made then transformed their cities and the lives of their people.

As Asian economies became more connected and integrated with the world, airports such as Changi, Chek Lap Kok and Incheon became powerful portals for tourism, trade and investment, Murali added.

He said: “Looking back, these decisions look obvious. But in reality, they demanded vision, sustained investment, and the conviction that connectivity would create a new world that did not yet exist.”

The lesson is clear, he added. Airports are not just built for the traffic of their day, but for the growth still to come.

Murali was speaking at the inaugural Passenger Terminal Expo Asia at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

In his address, he touched on how Changi Airport developed from a single terminal in the 1980s into a major global air hub, operating four terminals with direct flights that connect to about 170 cities worldwide.

A new terminal – Terminal 5 – is slated to open in the mid-2030s. Designed to handle about 50 million passengers a year, it is expected to double the size of Changi Airport and increase annual passenger capacity from 90 million to 140 million.

Headwinds facing the aviation sector now include tighter labour markets, and passengers who now have higher expectations. The industry is also grappling with operational uncertainty amid an urgent push towards greater sustainability, Murali said.

Sustainability, he added, is perhaps the “most consequential” challenge of this generation, and although solutions such as sustainable aviation fuel and electric airside vehicles are available, their adoption is hampered by high costs.

Green jet fuel, for instance, is said to emit 80 per cent less in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional jet fuel, but costs three to five times more.

Murali said: “But standing still is not an option. Decarbonisation projects often require significant investment before their technologies mature and their commercial benefits are fully realised.

“Waiting for uncertainties to disappear would cost us valuable time.”

Positive outcomes, however, can only be achieved if different stakeholders come together, he added.

“We are in the business of connections, so we must all realise that none of this can be done by any single airport, airline or government. Bringing viable solutions to scale requires a coalition of willing partners.”

Aqil Hamzah is a transport journalist at The Straits Times. He is also interested in issues related to crime and technology.