Gladiator
22nd Nov 2000, 21:04
In early 1997, the Singapore CAAS was assessed by the FAA under the International Aviation Safety Assessment program ("IASA"). The purpose of the IASA program is to ensure that all foreign air carriers operating to and from the United States are properly licensed and with safety oversight provided by a competent Civil Aviation Authority pursuant to ICAO safety standards. In assessing CAAS, FAA determined that the CAAS failed to comply with International safety standards and for airline operations due to deficiencies, including the shortage of adequately trained flight operations inspectors and a lack of type ratings.
The following are two articles from the Strait Times.
By: Rav Dhaliwal
Date: 4 Feb 1997
CH: CAAS, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, SIA, Singapore Airlines
HD: CAAS needs more pilots for safety checks, US body
PH: News focus
SH: Air Safety
Given 3 months to engage more pilots
The United States Federal Aviation Authority has told the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore that it does not have enough pilots to check on the safety of Singapore Airlines flights leaving Changi airport. SIA has an unblemished record and maintains high standards of safety through rigorous checks of its own, but the FAA feels that the airport authority needs more pilots to check on the airline.
The FAA has given the CAAS three months to engage more pilots to do the job, and talks between the two sides are still going on.
Neither authority would comment on the matter, but it was learnt that the CAAS has been taking steps to bring more pilots on board. The Straits Times learny that in this region, airports in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Brunei met the FAA standards, whereas Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines fell short. Mr Robert Jensen, manager of the FAA's International Field Office (Asia) location here, said Singapore was one of the last few countries to be assessed. About 600 airlines from 100 countries fly to the US, and he said the FAA action was part of a worldwide effort to check safety at airports from which flights to the US originate. After a series of air mishaps in the US in the early 1990s, thre FAA embarked on the effort to ensure that carriers flying to the US are safe, operate safe aircraft, follow safety procedures and have comprehensive training.
Its officials have been assessing aviation authorities to see if they meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. He said that they started in South Central America before moving to Europe, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific, and have rated airport authoroties as those that:
Category I, Meet the standards;
Category II, Fall short and must fix specified problem areas. The affected airlines can continue to fly to the US, but cannot add more flights or ask to operate to new points.
Category III, Do not meet the standards and are barred from flying to the US. A handful of South American carriers have met this fate.
But Mr. Jensen would not comment on the ongoing discussions with the CAAS. It was learnt that an FAA team visited Singapore for a few days last November and told the CAAS that it needs more pilots to check on SIA. In about two to three months time, the FAA is expected to decide its rating of the CAAS safety regulation machinery. A CAAS spokesman also felt it was inappropriate to give details of the consultations. It was lerant that CAAS had approved a budget some time ago to engage more pilots familiar with the various types of aircraft SIA operates.
Captain Ken Toft, a senior SIA pilot due to retire in two months time, was seconded to the CAAS last month to help carry out safety checks. Asked about this, the CAAS spokesman said it had been eyeing him well before the FAA assessment, "He is noe able to join us because he is due for retirement soon," the spokesman said, "We have been looking for good, experienced pilots all along to join our team of inspectors." The CAAS has three pilots, among other airworthiness officers, to check on emergency and safety aspects of SIA's operations, including pilot training and airworthiness of aircraft. they also fly with SIA pilots to check that they follow procedures. The CAAS efforts are augmented by the airline's own comprehensive system of checks, ehich has helped it maintain record of flying for almost a quarter of a century with no fatal accident.
An Aviation industry source was surprised to learn that the FAA had found CAAS wanting, given SIA's reputation for maintaining a high standard of safety and operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. End
Next is the follow up article.
By: Rav Dhaliwal
Date 27 Mar 1997
CH: CAAS, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
HD: CAAS gets top marks for airline safety
PH: News focus
SH: Air Safety, Singapore Airlines
It meets worldwide safety standards fully
The United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has given a top rating to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore for complying fully with International Safety standards.
This comes soon after the American body gave the CAAS three months to recruit more pilots to check on the safety of SIA flights leaving Changi airport.
Although SIA has an unblemished safety record and a system of checks of its own, the FAA felt that the airport authority needed more pilots to check on the airline.
The CAAS brought in two pilots recently as part of a plan approved last year for recruitment of pilots and airworthiness specialists up to the year 2000. It also expects to recruit more pilots and other safety inspection personnel over the next three years.
Following a series of air mishaps in the US in the early 1990s, the FAA launched a worldwide programme to assess the capability of aviation authorities to oversee the safety of the national carriers.
It checked whether they meet International Civil Organization (ICAO) standards. Singapore was one of the last few countries to be assessed.
The FAA announced two days ago that Singapore was rated in Category 1, which means that it met the standards fully. to qualify for a top rating, an aviation authority must,
a) Meet ICAO minimum standards of safety.
b) Have current rules that meet these requirements.
c)Have procedures to carry out the requirements.
d) Have the capability to conduct routine and surveillance and certify airlines as safe.
e) Have organizational and personnel resources to implement and enforce the various requirements.
Commenting on CAAS rating, Mr. Chan Yat, its director (human resource and public relations), said: "CAAS has always placed importance and priority on civil aviation safety, the results of FAA's assessment are further confirmation that Singapore has an adequate infrastructure, laws; regulations, systems and procedures, and resources to meet the International aviation safety standards set by the ICAO."
He said the body brought in two pilots recently to supervise SIA operations, bringing the total number of such pilots to five. It will recruit another two over the next three years, and another five airworthiness specialists, surveyors and engineers by the year 2000.
There are 12 such officers now and their job is to check Siam's maintenance programmes and its aircraft, and ensure that it makes modifications as directed by manufacturers. End.
The following are two articles from the Strait Times.
By: Rav Dhaliwal
Date: 4 Feb 1997
CH: CAAS, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, SIA, Singapore Airlines
HD: CAAS needs more pilots for safety checks, US body
PH: News focus
SH: Air Safety
Given 3 months to engage more pilots
The United States Federal Aviation Authority has told the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore that it does not have enough pilots to check on the safety of Singapore Airlines flights leaving Changi airport. SIA has an unblemished record and maintains high standards of safety through rigorous checks of its own, but the FAA feels that the airport authority needs more pilots to check on the airline.
The FAA has given the CAAS three months to engage more pilots to do the job, and talks between the two sides are still going on.
Neither authority would comment on the matter, but it was learnt that the CAAS has been taking steps to bring more pilots on board. The Straits Times learny that in this region, airports in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Brunei met the FAA standards, whereas Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines fell short. Mr Robert Jensen, manager of the FAA's International Field Office (Asia) location here, said Singapore was one of the last few countries to be assessed. About 600 airlines from 100 countries fly to the US, and he said the FAA action was part of a worldwide effort to check safety at airports from which flights to the US originate. After a series of air mishaps in the US in the early 1990s, thre FAA embarked on the effort to ensure that carriers flying to the US are safe, operate safe aircraft, follow safety procedures and have comprehensive training.
Its officials have been assessing aviation authorities to see if they meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. He said that they started in South Central America before moving to Europe, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific, and have rated airport authoroties as those that:
Category I, Meet the standards;
Category II, Fall short and must fix specified problem areas. The affected airlines can continue to fly to the US, but cannot add more flights or ask to operate to new points.
Category III, Do not meet the standards and are barred from flying to the US. A handful of South American carriers have met this fate.
But Mr. Jensen would not comment on the ongoing discussions with the CAAS. It was learnt that an FAA team visited Singapore for a few days last November and told the CAAS that it needs more pilots to check on SIA. In about two to three months time, the FAA is expected to decide its rating of the CAAS safety regulation machinery. A CAAS spokesman also felt it was inappropriate to give details of the consultations. It was lerant that CAAS had approved a budget some time ago to engage more pilots familiar with the various types of aircraft SIA operates.
Captain Ken Toft, a senior SIA pilot due to retire in two months time, was seconded to the CAAS last month to help carry out safety checks. Asked about this, the CAAS spokesman said it had been eyeing him well before the FAA assessment, "He is noe able to join us because he is due for retirement soon," the spokesman said, "We have been looking for good, experienced pilots all along to join our team of inspectors." The CAAS has three pilots, among other airworthiness officers, to check on emergency and safety aspects of SIA's operations, including pilot training and airworthiness of aircraft. they also fly with SIA pilots to check that they follow procedures. The CAAS efforts are augmented by the airline's own comprehensive system of checks, ehich has helped it maintain record of flying for almost a quarter of a century with no fatal accident.
An Aviation industry source was surprised to learn that the FAA had found CAAS wanting, given SIA's reputation for maintaining a high standard of safety and operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. End
Next is the follow up article.
By: Rav Dhaliwal
Date 27 Mar 1997
CH: CAAS, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
HD: CAAS gets top marks for airline safety
PH: News focus
SH: Air Safety, Singapore Airlines
It meets worldwide safety standards fully
The United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has given a top rating to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore for complying fully with International Safety standards.
This comes soon after the American body gave the CAAS three months to recruit more pilots to check on the safety of SIA flights leaving Changi airport.
Although SIA has an unblemished safety record and a system of checks of its own, the FAA felt that the airport authority needed more pilots to check on the airline.
The CAAS brought in two pilots recently as part of a plan approved last year for recruitment of pilots and airworthiness specialists up to the year 2000. It also expects to recruit more pilots and other safety inspection personnel over the next three years.
Following a series of air mishaps in the US in the early 1990s, the FAA launched a worldwide programme to assess the capability of aviation authorities to oversee the safety of the national carriers.
It checked whether they meet International Civil Organization (ICAO) standards. Singapore was one of the last few countries to be assessed.
The FAA announced two days ago that Singapore was rated in Category 1, which means that it met the standards fully. to qualify for a top rating, an aviation authority must,
a) Meet ICAO minimum standards of safety.
b) Have current rules that meet these requirements.
c)Have procedures to carry out the requirements.
d) Have the capability to conduct routine and surveillance and certify airlines as safe.
e) Have organizational and personnel resources to implement and enforce the various requirements.
Commenting on CAAS rating, Mr. Chan Yat, its director (human resource and public relations), said: "CAAS has always placed importance and priority on civil aviation safety, the results of FAA's assessment are further confirmation that Singapore has an adequate infrastructure, laws; regulations, systems and procedures, and resources to meet the International aviation safety standards set by the ICAO."
He said the body brought in two pilots recently to supervise SIA operations, bringing the total number of such pilots to five. It will recruit another two over the next three years, and another five airworthiness specialists, surveyors and engineers by the year 2000.
There are 12 such officers now and their job is to check Siam's maintenance programmes and its aircraft, and ensure that it makes modifications as directed by manufacturers. End.