SINGAPORE — As the Republic prepares to receive more air traffic with the opening of two new airport terminals in the coming years, it is gearing up in technology and manpower, including increasing the number of air-traffic controllers from the current 380 to 600 by 2020.

Senior Minister of State (Transport) Josephine Teo said yesterday that flights departing from and arriving at Changi Airport could possibly double from the current 350,000 flights annually when Terminal 5 (T5) opens in the late 2020s.

“You see and hear a lot about the hardware that is put in ... I wouldn’t be surprised that when we operate T5, the air-traffic management capabilities will (also) have to be increased by a quantum-fold,” said Mrs Teo on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre.

Last year, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore managed 650,000 aircraft movements in the Singapore Flight Information Region (FIR), including aircraft that fly through, but do not land at, Changi.

The FIR is the airspace controlled by Singaporean air-traffic controllers, where relevant information and alerting services are provided.

In stepping up its air-traffic management capabilities, the Republic’s foremost priority is improving safety and efficiency, said Mrs Teo. Also crucial is investing in technology and encouraging thought leadership in the area, she added. Air-traffic controllers will also continue to administer the region in a “fair and objective” manner, including managing flights on a first-come-first-served basis, she said.

Nevertheless, Mrs Teo acknowledged the challenge in enhancing integration between neighbouring FIRs to increase efficiency across the region.

“An FIR cannot operate on its own. An FIR is surrounded by other FIRs, so you are only as efficient as whoever it is around you that you take over flights from and hand over flights to,” she said.

Mrs Teo added that she hopes that the pace of liberalising air spaces can “pick up further”. “The room for international civil aviation to grow is still a very large one. It is up to us to capture the opportunity.”

Noting that Indonesia is the only country in the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) that has yet to ratify the grouping’s open skies policy, Mrs Teo said it “fits directly” into Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s plans to boost foreign investment in his country.

Referring to Indonesia’s bid to reclaim control of the space above the Riau Islands from Singapore, Mrs Teo said airspace management is an issue that concerns safety, not sovereignty.

“It has everything to do with operational and technical capabilities. It is not at all an issue of sovereignty. I think this position is very clear,” she said, noting that it is not unusual for FIRs to cross national boundaries.

“The Indonesians are very clear where we are coming from, and we will continue this conversation with them,” she added. KELLY NG