Airspace deal resolves key bilateral issue

A milestone airspace deal between Singapore and Indonesia decisively resolves a key longstanding bilateral issue, and will stand to benefit both sides as well as the international civil aviation community, said Transport Minister S. Iswaran yesterday.

He was responding to parliamentary questions filed by several MPs on the implications of a flight information region (FIR) agreement signed on Jan 25, which will realign parts of Singapore's FIR - which overlap Indonesian airspace - to come under Jakarta's.

Indonesia will, in turn, delegate the provision of air navigation services for parts of its realigned FIR to Singapore for 25 years.

Mr Iswaran noted that the agreement will allow Singapore to continue providing these services within airspace sufficient for Changi Airport's present and future needs, thus supporting the continued growth and competitiveness of Singapore's air hub and aviation-related sectors.

It will also ensure safe and efficient management of traffic to Indonesian airports, including the Batam, Bintan and Tanjung Pinang airports which are near Changi, he added.

FIRs are assigned by international law to determine how airspace around the world is divided up for control by different countries. They do not have to follow territorial boundaries.

Since 1946, Singapore has been managing flights in areas including the Riau Islands like Batam, which fall under Indonesian airspace.

The agreement with Jakarta - after several decades of the FIR being on the bilateral agenda - paves the way for closer cooperation in air traffic management and other aviation issues, said Mr Iswaran.

He added that it clarifies how air navigation services will be provided in a busy and complex airspace; and ensures that air traffic flows in the region, including to and from Changi and Indonesian airports, will continue to be safe and efficient.

With the International Air Transport Association forecasting air traffic in the Asia-Pacific to have the highest growth globally over the next 20 years, the FIR pact will open up more opportunities for airlines and other stakeholders to tap growing air traffic in the region to expand their operations, attract more investments and create more jobs, said Mr Iswaran.

The FIR agreement is due to be implemented simultaneously with a defence cooperation agreement and extradition treaty.

Laying out the next steps, Mr Iswaran said domestic processes to ratify all three agreements would have to be completed, before technical teams work through detailed coordination procedures and both countries consult stakeholders and submit a proposal to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for approval.

Once approved by the global body, both countries will agree on a date to implement the FIR agreement and for all three pacts to come into force together.

Mr Iswaran called the agreement "durable" and said the 25 years would allow for Singapore to gain experience from the new arrangements, as the aviation sector continues to develop with advancements in technology.

Under the FIR agreement, the delegation arrangement between Singapore and Indonesia is extendable by mutual consent, should both sides find it beneficial to do so.

Singapore and Indonesia have agreed to consult each other and the ICAO before the end of the 25 years, said Mr Iswaran, with a view to ensuring the safety and efficiency of international civil aviation beyond that period.