Impact of Instrument Landing System Withdrawal at Seletar Airport
Ministry of TransportSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the consequences of withdrawing the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Seletar Airport, with Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong inquiring about its necessity for Firefly flights. Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan explained that Seletar historically operated via visual procedures and Firefly requested the ILS due to requirements from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia. While CAAS agreed to the installation to facilitate all-weather operations, the Minister noted that ILS is not the only instrument approach option available. Currently, CAAS and CAAM are collaborating on alternative GPS-based flight procedures to replace the withdrawn system and ensure continued safety. Meanwhile, Seletar Airport continues to manage flights using visual procedures, maintaining the same operational standards it has utilized for several decades.
Transcript
61 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport following Singapore's withdrawal of the use of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) for Seletar Airport (a) what are the technical and commercial consequences to Seletar Airport; and (b) whether the ILS is regarded as necessary for the operation of Firefly flights at Seletar Airport when Singapore first decided to implement the ILS.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Seletar Airport has been operating as a visual airport for decades. This means that pilots flying to and from Seletar Airport need to be able to clearly sight the runway and their operating environment when landing and taking off. This also means that during bad weather, flights may have to be delayed or diverted to other airports. This arrangement has worked well for Seletar Airport as it is a rather small airport.
In 2017, when arrangements were being planned to shift Firefly's flights to Seletar, Firefly asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to install at Seletar Airport an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and its associated flight procedures. Firefly had informed CAAS that an ILS was a requirement by its regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). CAAS agreed to the request as the ILS would also have enabled all other pilots to operate at Seletar in all weather conditions.
While ILS is a commonly used instrument approach, it is not the only one. CAAS and CAAM are working on an alternative, using GPS-based instrument approach procedures.
Meanwhile, flights to and from Seletar Airport are using visual procedures as in the past.