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Speech by Mr Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs at the MOU Signing between Singapore and International Air Transport Association on 10 February 2011

Mr Giovanni Bisignani, IATA Director General & CEO, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen:

A very good evening On behalf of the Singapore Government, I am happy to be signing this Memorandum of Understanding with IATA, which as Mr Bisignani mentioned earlier, marks the strong partnership and excellent relationship IATA has with not just Singapore, but the Asia-Pacific region. IATA – A ‘Blue-Chip’ Organisation

IATA represents some 230 member airlines from more than 125 countries that fly over 93% of the world’s international scheduled air traffic.

However, IATA is not just an industry association of the world’s airlines.

IATA plays an active and influential role on aviation issues of concern, such as:

the fair application of market-based carbon trading schemes for environment protection
overhaul and liberalisation of the global aviation regulatory regime on air traffic rights
e-ticketing initiatives for passengers
e-freight initiatives for air-cargo documentation
fair competition advocacy
As a representative of the majority of the world’s airline operators, IATA holds valuable insights into airline interests, concerns and views that have helped governments and other international bodies in the formulation of sound and appropriate civil aviation policies.

IATA is thus a highly useful intermediary for governments to work with airlines, drawing on their experience and expertise to develop global standards for one of the world’s largest industries and for the promotion of safe, efficient and economical air transport.

IATA has close working relations with other strategically important aviation bodies like the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), as well as national aviation bodies of various countries.

Furthermore, IATA has a special institutional relationship with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), playing an active role in various ICAO fora.

It is recognized as a key industry organisation[1] and often consulted by ICAO on aviation-related matters such as implementation of new international aviation standards, and aviation’s role in combating climate change.

This reach enables IATA to influence the thinking of decision-makers in industry, international organisations and even governments.

In terms of reach and influence, there is no similar industry organisation that is comparable in stature. IATA’s Asia-Pacific Regional Office

Recognising IATA as a “blue-chip” organisation, we were supportive of IATA’s decision to establish its Regional Office for the Asia-Pacific region in Singapore back in 1994.

While physically small, the role of IATA’s Asia-Pacific Regional Office in Singapore is anything but that, and its presence has brought benefits to Singapore and the region.

For instance, IATA has played an instrumental role in implementing air traffic management initiatives that have helped airlines reduce operating costs, and enhanced overall safety and efficiency of flight operations in Singapore and at the regional level.

IATA’s Regional Training Centre, attracting on average some 2,000 students to Singapore annually, has also helped to develop the human capital needed to grow the industry over the years.

With its unique access to industry information and resources, IATA has been a valuable partner with whom Singapore has co-organised the highly successful series of Singapore Aviation Leadership Summits that are held in conjunction with the biennial Singapore Airshow.

The close collaboration has enabled Singapore to attract captains of the aviation industry and key government officials to a premier event which has put Singapore and Changi Airport on the circuit of key global aviation events. The work behind the scenes on this project has been possible only with the presence of IATA’s Asia-Pacific Regional Office, which has staff of the appropriate seniority and experience to work with Singapore officials in the organisation of the Summit.

Over the next 10 years, IATA intends to ramp up its operations in Singapore significantly. It also plans to increase the number of conferences, events and training courses to be held here. This will strengthen Singapore’s proposition as a ‘Home for Talent’, and as a centre for knowledge exchange.

IATA’s expansion will add to the vibrancy of international non-profit organisations (INPOs) established in Singapore. This is testament to our unique proposition to the global INPO community as a base to do good work in the region, as well as develop and expand their Asian footprint.

Conclusion

Looking ahead, I am confident that IATA will continue to serve the region well, as it grows its operations here.

Let me also take the opportunity to wish Mr Bisignani the best of health and every success in his future endeavours, after he steps down as IATA’s Director General and CEO later this year.

Thank you.

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    IATA Checkpoint of the Future

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) unveiled the first mock-up of a Checkpoint of the Future, designed to enhance security while reducing queues and intrusive searches at airports, using intelligence-driven risk-based measures.

    IATA’s Checkpoint of the Future is being shown to delegates attending the Association’s 67th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit, in Singapore.

    “We spend $7.4 billion a year to keep aviation secure. But our passengers only see hassle. Passengers should be able to get from curb to boarding gate with dignity. That means without stopping, stripping or unpacking, and certainly not groping. That is the mission for the Checkpoint of the Future. We must make coordinated investments for civilized flying,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

    The main concepts of the Checkpoint are (1) strengthened security by focusing resources where risk is greatest, (2) supporting this risk-based approach by integrating passenger information into the checkpoint process, and (3) maximizing throughput for the vast majority of travelers who are deemed to be low risk with no compromise on security levels.

    “Today’s checkpoint was designed four decades ago to stop hijackers carrying metal weapons. Since then, we have grafted on more complex procedures to meet emerging threats. We are more secure, but it is time to rethink everything. We need a process that responds to today’s threat. It must amalgamate intelligence based on passenger information and new technology. That means moving from a system that looks for bad objects, to one that can find bad people,” said Bisignani.

    How does it work?
    The Checkpoint of the Future ends the one-size-fits-all concept for security. Passengers approaching the checkpoint will be directed to one of three lanes: ‘known traveler’, ‘normal’, and ‘enhanced security’. The determination will be based on a biometric identifier in the passport or other travel document that triggers the results of a risk assessment conducted by government before the passenger arrives at the airport.

    The three security lanes will have technology to check passengers according to risk. “Known travelers” who have registered and completed background checks with government authorities will have expedited access. “Normal screening” would be for the majority of travelers. And those passengers for whom less information is available, who are randomly selected or who are deemed to be an “Elevated risk” would have an additional level of screening.

    Screening technology is being developed that will allow passengers to walk through the checkpoint without having to remove clothes or unpack their belongings. Moreover, it is envisioned that the security process could be combined with outbound customs and immigration procedures, further streamlining the passenger experience.

    Next Steps
    Through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), 19 governments, including the United States, are working to define standards for a Checkpoint of the Future. IATA is also coordinating closely with the US Department of Homeland Security’s Checkpoint of Tomorrow program which has similar goals.

    “We have the ability to move to the biometric scanning and three-lane concept right now. And while some of the technology still needs to be developed, even by just re-purposing what we have today, we could see major changes in two or three years time,” said Bisignani.

    For more information, please contact:
    Director Corporate Communications
    AGM Media Centre Tel: +65 6688 2734
    Email: corpcomms@iata.org

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    Jump Starting the Discussion

    Thank you, Lee [Sander]. It’s great to be here with you.

    Let me start out with an observation. Sue Baer called a few weeks ago to ask if I’d be coming to New York for lunch. I should have asked if she had also invited 300 other people as well. Just kidding.

    I did not hesitate to come. The Regional Plan Association’s report raises big ideas that, quite frankly, we’ve all been thinking about and talking about for quite some time. It’s my hope that this report serves as an impetus for forward movement.

    If there’s a bottom line in all of this, I think it’s best to start there: The FAA is not in the position of telling this region what path to take or what decision to make. That’s your purview, and there’s little doubt that it has to be decided in the context of what role you see the airports in this region playing. From a federal standpoint, I should point out, though, that the decisions cannot be made in a New York/New Jersey vacuum. The ripple effect of what happens here in New York, not just the big three, has a tremendous impact on the rest of the system.

    Back in my office, I have what’s called a TSD monitor – the traffic situation display. It’s a map of the United States, and it shows all aircraft being tracked with a flight plan, and it has a weather overlay. Lots of dots. I’d say it looks like a Christmas tree, but you’d never want to put this many lights on a Christmas tree. In the morning around 7, I can watch the East Coast “light up” as traffic starts to flow to and from the great Northeast from across the country. Over the next couple of hours, you see a steady march west as Chicago, and then Dallas and Denver, and finally the west coast open for business. It stays like that until early afternoon, when there’s another queue forming from across the pond.

    Meanwhile, New York stays busy throughout the day and that lasts until early evening, when it intersects the push out of the city across the pond that lasts until 8 or later.
    On the TSD, this region is a starburst that glows all day and into the night. The airports up here are just like the George Washington Bridge: everyone wants to get in or out at the same time.
    The decisions you make about the paths you take with these airports has an effect that’s local, national and international. Delays, efficiency, capacity – they affect ledgers from here to the other side of the globe and back.
    And by no means are economics the only consideration. What we’re all after is to provide a positive experience for the flying public. There are proximity and land constrailand and environmental effects as well.

    Our role at the FAA is to help as best we can with critical tools like NextGen. There’s an incomplete understanding of what NextGen is and what it can do. The concept is simple: NextGen is a set of technologies, processes, procedures and policy that together will revolutionize how people fly. It’s a radical departure from the ground-based radar of years gone by, a shift toward satellite control and navigation. It’s a game changer for the controller, the pilot and the passenger. If you want to say it’s like going from an abacus to an iPad, I think you’re not overstating the case.

    We’ve estimated the delay reduction at the New York airports that we would expect to occur from mid-term NextGen improvements. Overall, we expect arrival delays to be reduced by 48 percent. We think gate departure delays will be reduced by 17 percent. Taxi-out delays are even more dramatic, with a reduction of 64 percent. We commissioned a report by UC Berkeley, and just last October, the direct costs of domestic flight delays put a dent in the economy to the tune of just under $33 billion. The passenger foots half of that.

    The RPA report we’re discussing today had equally sobering numbers with equally sobering consequences: In 2009, air passengers and cargo generated 16 billion in wages, 48 billion in sales, and 400,000 jobs. If we don’t make it possible for additional passengers to come here, over the course of two decades, that amounts to 125,000 lost jobs, 6 billion in wages and another 16 billion in sales.

    Those numbers are hard to ignore. But with the technology and procedures of NextGen, we can help turn that around. But we are well aware that that is not the whole story. If you want to get maximum return on the investment, if you want to support unconstrained market growth in aviation, you must take an aggressive approach to upgrading your infrastructure to maximize the benefits of NextGen.

    I understand, and I sympathize with you, about the political will and the time it takes to put in a runway. That’s not lost on anyone. But with the status quo, the equation will not work. “I love New York” isn’t just a jingle. People fly here in ever-increasing numbers, actually record-breaking numbers – over 48 million. That puts you right near the top of the list of destinations on the planet. I don’t see that trend slowing down even a little.

    If this report does anything, it’s a red flag that says this conversation cannot stay at a whisper. It also says that finger-pointing and waiting for the other guys to make the first move are non-starters. To realize capacity, NextGen is a must, but without expansion – no pun intended – you cannot get there from here. Better utilization of the outlying regional airports is part and parcel with that expansion.

    As you know, the FAA continues to make strides to eliminating the bottlenecks here. We have created a special program office to concentrate our resources to address this problem. We’re making NextGen advancements like ADS-B for satellite navigation and ASDE-X for increased safety on the ground. Working together, you’ve been at the forefront of collaborative surface traffic management at JFK. We dedicated a new tower at LaGuardia last Friday. We are successfully rolling out the redesign of airspace here. We provided the Port with an $89 million letter of intent to fund eight delay reduction taxiway projects. Those alone are expected to reduce delays by more than a minute per operation for a savings of $46 million annually at Kennedy.

    In closing, let me say with all emphasis that I completely disagree with the people out there who say that there’s no solution here. In fact, there is. Active collaboration will get us where we need to go. Between and among governments – federal, state and municipal. Cooperation among airlines, authorities, and all of the stakeholders right here, right now. Let’s not overlook inter-modalism. Heavy and light rail, maritime, vehicular traffic, and the passengers and the neighboring communities. When you have full-out collaboration, we’re able to make huge strides, like we did with the major construction program on the Bay runway at Kennedy this past summer.

    With respect to what brings us here today, I can’t say it any more plainly: Everyone has a role, and I want to thank the Regional Plan Association for jump-starting the discussion to bring all of this to the table and initiating what needs to be a very public discussion regarding some very hard choices. This independent study is indeed a step in the right direction. Thank you.

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    Speech : JetBlue Press Event

    “NextGen Makes Business Sense”
    J. Randolph Babbitt, Reagan Washington National Airport
    February 3, 2011

    Thank you, Mr. Secretary. It’s good to see everyone here this afternoon.

    The great thing about this partnership with JetBlue is that it’s going to give us a glimpse into the future right now.

    Companies that are equipping today with NextGen are going to reap the benefits of the transformation of our air space system, sooner rather than later. They’ll see greater efficiency, fuel savings and more on-time arrivals as we continue to increase the availability of NextGen procedures.

    It makes business sense to get your customers where they’re going quickly, safely and efficiently. It helps a company’s bottom line.

    JetBlue’s A320s will fly more direct routes and cut delays. They’ll save fuel and also leave a smaller carbon footprint on the environment.

    That’s because the aircraft will use new GPS-based technology to fly less congested routes.

    JetBlue will also share with us their flight data, which is going to show us in detail how and where the GPS-based technology is saving time, distance and fuel.

    JetBlue will benefit from more reliable arrival times on its East Coast routes.

    We have partnered with other airlines and helicopter companies in the past to test GPS-based navigation in different geographic regions such as the Gulf of Mexico and routes over the Pacific.

    A number of airlines have already adopted GPS-based procedures in their daily operations, and they are reaping the benefits ahead of the pack.

    Southwest Airlines started using GPS-based arrival procedures at a dozen airports last month. The company estimates it will save $60 million a year in fuel costs once it uses these procedures nationwide.

    And the state of Alaska is where NextGen was first introduced. Alaska Airlines has been using GPS precision approaches and departures at Juneau International Airport since the mid-1990s.

    And by using GPS technology, Alaska Airlines can land at a number of airports with pinpoint precision using more direct approaches, which saves fuel.

    Also, aircraft fly precisely through mountainous terrain with low visibility right into the airport thanks to the higher accuracy of GPS.

    Alaska Airlines estimates it would have cancelled 729 flights last year due to bad weather at Juneau if it were not for the GPS approaches.

    By not cancelling those flights Alaska Airlines saved $7.5 million last year, and passengers got where they wanted to go. And that’s just at one airport. The figure doubles to $15.8 million in savings taking into account the other 25 airports where the airline also uses such approaches.

    These are some of the examples of airlines that are saving money and offering better service now thanks to NextGen.
    JetBlue will be able to take advantage of new NextGen routes from Boston and New York down to Florida and the Caribbean that are like an HOV lane. They bypass the congestion.

    By using GPS navigation, instead of relying on radar, JetBlue’s aircraft will benefit from more reliable arrival times and the ability to schedule more flights.

    It also means that equipped aircraft can jump ahead of others in line for take-off because they’re using the less congested NextGen routes.

    I’m very excited that we will be able to quantify the cost savings and improved efficiency as a result of this partnership. We want to share the data and spread the word. It’s best to come on board sooner and take advantage of the innovations that are moving our airspace system forward.

    Thank you very much for your attention.

    I’ll open it up to questions now.

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    Global Aviation Facing Critical Issues; Conclude Panelists at 20th World Routes Development Forum

    Renowned panelists in the first panel discussion at the 20th World Routes Development Forum, which was held in Chicago on September 21, concluded that the global aviation industry is currently facing 5 critical challenges.

    As per the results of live polling moderated by BBC World News presenter, Aaron Heslehurst, the delegates regarded infrastructure as the most critical challenge, with aviation profitability, safety/security, taxation and oil price stability being the other 4.

    At the start of the session, the issue of safety and security was discussed, particularly in context of the recent incidents of MH17 and MH370. Managing director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Datuk Badlisham Ghazali appreciated the actions taken by the ICAO and other bodies in order to improve aviation safety, however, he emphasized on the need of enhanced visibility from global aviation bodies regarding the industrial developments aimed at increasing safety. Referring to MH17 tragedy, he said, “The industry needs to move forward in more visible way. Response has not been as visible as what I had hoped for.”

    The issue of aircrafts flying over conflict area in eastern Ukraine was also brought up during the discussion. Thomas Windmuller, SVP airports, passenger and cargo services at IATA, asked why some airlines had the vital information not to fly while the others were not aware.

    Profitability was another point of discussion in the forum and according to Windmuller, “We are in a period of sustained growth in volume, but not necessarily profitability. The number of airlines that recover their capital cost is very small… The problem is not just airlines, it is aviation. There are very few parts and components that are making big money. These include airports, and air navigation services, who do not make a profit, and do not cover their long-term capital costs.”

    The delegate voting regarded Infrastructure challenges as the most serious issue being faced by the aviation industry today. The current investment in aviation infrastructure development projects vary a great deal from country to country. In some countries like China, big investments are being made for infrastructure development while in some other countries this trend is non-existent.

    Trey Urbahn, the chief strategy officer of Azul Brazilian Airlines, said that the most pressing issue being faced by Brazilian aviation industry today is taxation. Giving example of Azul Brazilian Airlines, he said that 36% of the company’s profit go on taxes and that the company is working with the government to address this serious issue. He suggested that the taxation garnered should be re-invested for infrastructure development.

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    Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Receive Aviation’s Highest Award


    DENVER, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Few aircraft since the Wright Flyer have truly become an “Aircraft of Legend.” Like the DC-3, the technological advancements of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are expected to profoundly impact commercial aviation. The Living Legends of Aviation have chosen the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to receive the “Aircraft of Legend Award” which will be presented at the 9th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards to be held January 20th at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, Calif. Mr. Scott Fancher, VP and General Manager of the Boeing 787 Program, will be accepting the award on behalf of all who have contributed to the “Boeing Dreamteam.” The
    Living Legends of Aviation Annual Awards is the most important and prestigious recognition event of aviation.

    On December 17, 1903 at 10:31 am with Orville at the controls and Wilbur running along side steading the wing, the world experienced the first controlled powered flight. Exactly 100 years later the Living Legends of Aviation organization was born to celebrate and recognize significant contributions for the second hundred years of aviation.
    The “Living Legends of Aviation” are a group of extraordinary people of accomplishment. They are defined as aviation entrepreneurs, innovators, record breakers, astronauts, industry leaders, pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots.

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