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Singapore and France will elevate their cooperation in civil aviation to enhance connectivity between the two countries which are global air hubs for their respective regions. On 30 May 2025, in connection with French President Emmanuel Macron’s State Visit to Singapore, Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Singapore and Eric Lombard, Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, France, exchanged a new Enhanced Framework Agreement to cooperate in civil aviation signed by the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Han Kok Juan and the Director-General of the Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) Damien Cazé. The Enhanced Framework Agreement for civil aviation will support growing ties between the two countries and enhance people and business flows.

Singapore and France are global air hubs in Asia-Pacific and Europe. In 2024, there were over 583,000 passenger movements between Singapore and Paris; this was a 36% increase over the 430,000 passenger movements in 2019. In the first four months of 2025 alone, passenger movements between Singapore and Paris have exceeded 169,000; and demand is expected to continue to grow. As of May 2025, Singapore Airlines and Air France collectively operate 24 weekly passenger services between Singapore and Paris.

The Enhanced Framework Agreement is significant in three ways. First, CAAS and DGAC will work together across all major areas of civil aviation including (a) safety and security, (b) air traffic management, (c) environment, (d) training and education and (e) aviation innovation. This replaces and is a significant expansion of the Technical Cooperation Agreement signed in 1998 which only covered cooperation on technical matters. Second, the agreement will foster ecosystem to ecosystem collaboration. It will involve not just the respective civil aviation authorities but all aviation, aerospace and training stakeholders. The broad-based collaboration allows both parties to tap on the expertise of their respective eco-systems including private sector companies and training institutions. For a start, CAAS and DGAC, through their respective training arms, the Singapore Aviation Academy and the École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile, will jointly deliver an Advanced Master in Air Transport Management for the Pacific Small Island Developing States. Third, CAAS and DGAC will hold annual dialogues, alternating between Singapore and France.

Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS said: “CAAS is deeply honoured to sign this Enhanced Framework Agreement with DGAC to elevate our cooperation in aviation. The new civil aviation agreement is testament to the shared commitment of the two civil aviation authorities to work together to support growing ties between our two countries, enhance connectivity for travellers and bring together our aviation and aerospace sectors to create new opportunities for businesses.”

Damien Cazé, Director-General of DGAC said: “DGAC is proud to be a long-term partner for civil aviation authorities in the ASEAN region and is willing to increase its presence and exchanges with Singapore as a global aviation hub, and as a leader in aviation innovation. The strong relationship between our two countries in civil aviation is also reflected by the involvement of French industrial players like Airbus and Thales, and by a fruitful academic collaboration. This Enhanced Framework Agreement will allow us to further develop the longstanding relations between our two countries in domains such as air traffic management, safety, innovation and sustainable development, both at regional and global levels.”

CAAS and Thales to jointly set up avionics lab in Singapore

(PHOTO: Via CAAS)

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Thales will jointly set up an International Avionics Lab in Singapore to test-bed and develop new avionics. The CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab, which will be set up in 2026, will house around six to eight engineers for a start. It will test and develop new solutions based on real-world operational scenarios involving airlines, air navigation service providers, airport operators and ground handlers. These will improve coordination and collaboration amongst these stakeholders to improve efficiency and performance, reduce delays and optimise resources.

The CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab will be Thales’ first avionics lab outside France. It will tap on cortAIx, Thales’ new AI accelerator that was launched in Singapore on 30 May 2025, to develop industrialised trusted AI solutions for critical systems. The new lab will also work with the AIR Lab, which was jointly established by CAAS and Thales in 2019, and aims to develop cutting-edge air traffic management solutions to optimise air transport operations in the region. CAAS will appoint ICAI to serve as the programme manager to support the overall planning and execution of the Lab’s programmes with Thales.

One key strength of the CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab is its ability to leverage One Aviation eco-system in Singapore. This comprises CAAS, a safety regulator and air navigation service provider; SIA, a national carrier; CAG, an airport operator; and SATS, a ground handler. to drive research and development activities synergistically, which will help to lower the cost of investment and accelerate the development of solutions for the sector. Under the MOU, the partners will work together to identify key challenges that need to be addressed and undertake joint innovation projects to develop solutions, which could include the following:

• Air traffic optimisation by combining airlines’ flight operations and cockpit data with air traffic management information. AI-enabled algorithms can detect and predict holding patterns within a particular radius around Changi Airport, helping manage congestion and leading to reduced flight delays.
• Digitalising and optimising the data shared between airlines, air traffic management and airports. Data from sensors in the aircraft like cameras or inflight entertainment systems can provide real-time, automated data to complement current data streams like video content from ground infrastructures. Enhancing these with AI models can aid airlines, air traffic managements and airport operators to improve collaborative decision making.

The CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab will harness Thales’ global expertise in avionics, cybersecurity and AI. It will grow local capabilities in these domains, which will create new job opportunities in our aviation workforce for more Singaporeans. It is part of CAAS’ strategy to establish Singapore as a hub for aviation innovation and strengthen Singapore’s position as a global air hub and centre for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities. It is also part of Thales’ strategy to leverage Singapore as an innovation hub to capture opportunities from the strong traffic growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

Han Kok Juan, Director-General, CAAS, said: “The CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab is a good example of what Singapore offers to international technology companies – an integrated eco-system which allows them to quickly plug and play and develop new concepts and solutions that can be tried out across multiple stakeholders.”

Emily Tan, Country Director and CEO for Thales in Singapore, said “The International Avionics Lab in Singapore will be the first of its kind for Thales outside of France, bringing our expertise in avionics, air traffic management, data analytics, cybersecurity and AI to the fore. We have contributed to Singapore’s aerospace sector for over five decades. The International Avionics Lab is a further testament of the strong partnership with Singapore’s key aviation stakeholders to develop solutions that support Singapore’s growth as a Global Air Hub.”

Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice President Avionics, Thales, said “We are thrilled to set up this International Avionics Lab in Singapore, in close collaboration with CAAS and ICAI. This pioneering initiative positions us at the heart of a dynamic ecosystem, where we can co-innovate with key aviation players, like Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport and SATS. It’s a unique opportunity to bring our avionics technologies and expertise into real-world testing environments and accelerate the development of breakthrough collaborative solutions that will shape the future of aviation.”

Patrick Ky, Chief Executive Officer, ICAI, said: “The new International Avionics Lab is a launchpad for innovation—designed to build and test cutting-edge solutions that drive aviation growth across Asia Pacific. From tackling unique challenges like diverse ground infrastructure to creating globally scalable technologies, this is where ideas take flight. We’re excited to welcome Thales Avionics to Singapore’s thriving aviation innovation ecosystem—home to smart, agile, and entrepreneurial companies pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.”

Yam Kum Weng, Chief Executive Officer, CAG, said: “Changi Airport Group is pleased to contribute to the CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab. We look forward to working with key aviation partners to boost Changi Airport’s operational precision and efficiency, and strengthen Singapore’s global air hub position.”

Kerry Mok, President and CEO, SATS, said: “SATS is pleased to collaborate with the CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab as part of an aviation ecosystem that is committed to innovation and operational excellence. These avionics innovation projects could enhance coordination across the aviation value chain—improving turnaround times, reducing delays, and enabling more efficient use of shared data and resources. This reflects our continued focus on applying practical, data-driven solutions together with our industry partners to meet real-world operational challenges and strengthen Singapore’s position as a global aviation hub.”

Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: ” The CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab enables us to collaborate with our partners to develop solutions that improve air traffic management and optimise airport operations in Singapore. This can potentially enhance coordination, reduce delays, and elevate the customer experience at Changi Airport, helping to further strengthen Singapore’s position as a global aviation hub.”