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SINGAPORE: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is “actively monitoring” the number of fuel-related emergencies declared by all airlines on flights into Singapore, as well as the safety performance of all airlines operating in and out of Changi Airport.<\/p>\n
This comes amid the Middle East conflict, which has presented new safety risks to the aviation sector, including the risks associated with flying through conflict zones, said CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan in his opening address at the Aviation Safety Forum on Wednesday (May 20).<\/p>\n
“As some flight routes lengthen due to re-routing, airlines must also ensure that aircraft carry sufficient fuel for longer flights and contingencies.<\/p>\n
“Airlines that face financial pressures from higher fuel prices<\/a> must continue to put safety first and sustain essential expenditure on safety measures. They should be non-negotiable.”<\/p>\n Mr Han also urged the aviation industry to be more vigilant against the backdrop of air traffic growth and increased volatility in its operating environment, in light of the Middle East conflict as well as other challenges related to aviation safety.<\/p>\n He noted that safety risks in the Asia-Pacific region have increased, with a “significant uptrend” in the accident rate as well as higher fatalities.\u00a0<\/p>\n In particular, the region’s accident rate increased from 0.78 per million departures in 2023 to 1.62 in 2024, and the number of fatalities rose from 72 in 2023 to 186 in 2024.<\/p>\n Turbulence remains the leading cause of accidents – defined as cases involving fatal or serious injuries, or substantial aircraft damage – in the region. Such cases rose from two in 2023 to eight in 2024.<\/p>\n It also accounts for almost 40 per cent of accidents in the region, with the trend expected to continue due to more adverse weather conditions brought about by climate change, said Mr Han.<\/p>\n In Singapore, the number of safety incidents has also risen, particularly those related to turbulence and runway incursions, he added.<\/p>\n In 2024, there were two turbulence accidents involving fatal or serious injury that were investigated by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB), including the case of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321<\/a>, which left one passenger dead and dozens injured.<\/p>\n In 2025, there were three such accidents investigated.<\/p>\n The number of runway incursions at Changi Airport that were investigated by the TSIB also rose from zero in 2023 to two in 2024 and three in 2025. All the incursions had involved foreign carriers, Mr Han noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n “In all these cases, there was no risk of collision or contact with any other aircraft or ground vehicle, but we take them seriously, investigate each one thoroughly and draw lessons to further enhance safety even as traffic grows.”<\/p>\n According to the United States Federal Aviation Administration, runway incursions are incidents at an airport involving the unauthorised presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on a runway used for aircraft landings and take-offs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n