KUALA LUMPUR: Civil aviation authorities from both Singapore and Malaysia will work together to develop GPS-based instrument approach procedures for Seletar Airport, replacing the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures which were withdrawn over the weekend, the transport ministers from both countries said on Monday (Apr 8).
Speaking at a joint press conference held at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Singapore’s Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan emphasised that the new procedures will ensure safety for flights departing and landing at Seletar Airport.
“We will introduce GPS-based instrument approaches from both the north over Pasir Gudang and south over Singapore island,” said Mr Khaw.
“This is because airplanes take off and land into the wind. With north-east and south-west wind directions at different times of the year, both approaches are needed,” he added.
Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan speaks at a joint news conference with his Malaysian counterpart Anthony Loke on Apr 8, 2019.
The announcement after both countries announced last Saturday that Singapore has withdrawn the ILS procedures for Seletar Airport while Malaysia has indefinitely suspended its permanent restricted area over Pasir Gudang.
READ: Singapore withdraws Seletar Airport ILS, Malaysia suspends Pasir Gudang restricted area
READ: Singapore, Malaysia airspace dispute: What we know and timeline
Mr Khaw added that the GPS-based instrument approach procedures will be finalised and its procedures will be published soon.
“This will enhance safety for flights using the Seletar Airport,” he said.
Last December, Malaysia said it wanted to reclaim its “delegated airspace” in southern Johor, citing concerns over sovereignty and national interest.
It also raised concerns about the ILS procedures for Singapore’s Seletar Airport, saying that the flight path will impact developments and shipping operations at Johor’s Pasir Gudang.
The ILS procedure refers to an assisted navigational aviation facility at the airport which provides vertical and horizontal guidance to pilots while the flight is descending and approaching the runway.
It provide a point of entry which guarantees the accuracy and efficiency of flights and increases the probability of landing a plane in an airport.
However, Singapore has said that the ILS simply puts on paper the existing flight paths, making safety rules clearer and more transparent.
Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) has also said that the procedures do not impose any additional impact on other airspace users as well as businesses and residents in Johor.
SINGAPORE TO APPROACH AIRSPACE ARRANGEMENT REVIEW WITH “OPEN MIND”
At the press conference on Monday, the transport ministers said that a “high-level committee”, co-chaired by both Singapore Permanent Secretary of Transport and Malaysia Secretary General of Transport, has been set up to review the existing airspace arrangement under which provision of air traffic services over southern Peninsular Malaysia has been delegated to Singapore.
Mr Khaw noted that Malaysia has expressed its wish to take over control of air traffic service provision in the airspace concerned.
Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke speaks at a joint news conference with his Singapore counterpart Khaw Boon Wan on Apr 8, 2019.
“I explained to Minister Loke that the current arrangement was brokered by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) at a 1973 Regional Air Navigation Meeting. It was agreed upon by States in the region, and approved by the ICAO Council,” he said.
“Minister Loke stressed that the review was important to Malaysia. I assured him that Singapore would approach the review with an open mind, bearing in mind the many stakeholders involved and the critical need to ensure safety and efficiency in a busy airspace.”
“With goodwill and compromise, I am sure that a win-win solution which does not undermine each other’s core interests can be found,” Mr Khaw added.
