According
to a press
statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Thales have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate on developing new
concepts of operations and new generation of technologies for air traffic
management (ATM).
Sealed
on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow, this CAAS-Thales collaboration aims
to support the development of the next generation of ATM operations that will
be nimble, scalable and adaptable.
The
collaboration will see CAAS and Thales cooperate in: (1) analysing the impact
digital trends have on the aviation ecosystem, (2) applying artificial
intelligence (AI) in ATM, (3) co-developing an ATM system architecture that is
future-ready and flexible to allow new advanced technologies to be easily
incorporated into operations, and (4) explore mixed use of airspace for manned
aircraft and drones.
According
to the Director-General of CAAS Mr Kevin Shum, CAAS as a leading Air Navigation
Services Provider is committed to exploring new innovations and digital
technologies to develop ATM solutions that address the unique challenges faced
by Singapore and the Asia Pacific region.
“We
believe such investments will not only enhance our ATM capabilities, but also
make a real difference towards the sustainable advancement of aviation in the
region,” Mr Shum said.
Thales
Executive Vice President (EVP) for Land and Air Systems Mr Alex Cresswell, added,
“Thales no longer views digital revolution as an emerging trend but as an
immediate reality, with a €1billion investment in digital technology already
materialised by the Group. The aviation ecosystem is one of the domains we feel
will benefit most from digitisation. Through this multidisciplinary
relationship CAAS and Thales will collaborate for the air traffic management of
the future, and we could not be prouder.”
Indeed,
Thales has been investing heavily on its digital transformation as well as its
operations in Singapore.
Last
year, Thales expanded its facilities in Changi North Rise to consolidate
all avionics production and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) activities,
making Singapore the company’s largest repair activities hub.
Currently, Singapore is home to one of the most
advanced MRO clusters in the world, accounting for a quarter of the region’s
MRO output.