SINGAPORE — The fact that there is no compromise to passengers’ safety is more important than the costs Singapore could have incurred in switching flight systems at the Seletar Airport, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Sunday (April 21).

Mr Khaw was speaking at a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Anthony Loke held at the Seletar Airport, where both transport ministers welcomed the first Firefly flight to the airport, after over four months of impasse due to a bilateral dispute over airspace issues.

It started when Malaysia protested last December against Singapore’s plan to implement the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures at Seletar Airport.

On April 8, the transport ministers revealed that their civil aviation authorities will work together to develop a Global Positioning System (GPS)-based instrument approach procedure for Seletar Airport, in place of the ILS.

Asked about the costs incurred for making the switch in flight systems, Mr Khaw said: “I don’t think there’s any loss in terms of safety.

“For us the key point is safety because from passengers’ point of view, whether it will cost more or how much more, safety is something which we must not compromise.”

The ILS is supposed to enhance safety, guiding planes when approaching and landing in the airport.

Malaysia argued that the ILS procedures will encroach into its airspace and hamper development in Pasir Gudang, a town in its state of Johor. Singapore’s authorities have rejected the claims.

Though he did not specify the costs, Mr Khaw said that using instrument procedures “does require some money and we were prepared to do so for the sake of enhanced safety”.

Without such instrument procedures in place, pilots flying to Seletar Airport will have to rely on their eyes to get to and land on the runway. This can be unsafe during inclement weather.

“But with instrument procedures whether ILS or GPS, in this case GPS, I think we should be able to overcome such limitations,” said Mr Khaw.

Asked when the new GPS procedures will be implemented, Mr Khaw said that both Singapore and Malaysia’s civil aviation authorities will meet next week. “I’m quite confident that it can be done pretty soon,” he added.

Mr Loke said: “The GPS approach is something we’ve agreed on by both civil aviation authorities and we are looking forward for Firefly to move towards that in a timely manner and we’re looking at the next six to 12 months.”

The withdrawal of the ILS procedures was part of an agreement both countries had reached on April 6, with Malaysia indefinitely suspending its permanent Restricted Area over Pasir Gudang.

Firefly, which was caught in the middle of the dispute, was supposed to move its operations from Changi Airport to Seletar Airport on Dec 1 last year, but instead had to suspend all its flights.

In January, Mr Izham Ismail, chief executive of Malaysia Airlines Group (MAG) which owns Firefly, was reported as saying that the budget carrier is expected to lose up to RM20 million (S$6.6 million) a month from the suspension of its direct flights into Singapore following the airspace impasse between Malaysia and Singapore.

When asked by reporters to specify the losses incurred by the carrier, Firefly’s chief executive Philip See — who was also present at the welcoming ceremony on Sunday — said: “We can’t disclose the actual financial performance of the business.”

Firefly was operating 20 daily turboprop flights — to and from Subang, Ipoh and Kuantan — at Changi Airport before Dec 1. With Singapore having shifted turboprop planes to Seletar Airport, it would make Firefly the only commercial airline to operate there.

CROSS-BORDER RAIL LINK

Following their meeting on April 8, both transport ministers said that Singapore and Malaysia are working towards a supplementary agreement to suspend the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) link project.

It comes after the Malaysian government said that it needs more time to study the costs of the project.

Saying that Malaysia prefers to call it a “suspension” rather than an “extension”, its transport minister Loke said that his government is looking at ways to reduce costs but remains committed in ensuring that the project can be continued.

Chiming in, Mr Khaw said that the bilateral agreement does not provide for a suspension. But in the “spirit of bilateral co-operation”, he added that “we can always work out some amendments or (what) we call (a) supplementary agreement”.

“So, I think the immediate first step is to settle, finalise and then sign the supplementary agreement which we hope could be done soon,” said Mr Khaw.