The Agreement on the Realignment of the Boundary between the Jakarta and the Singapore Flight Information Regions

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have one supplementary question as a follow-up to my Parliamentary Question, which is listed as Question No 5 in the Order Paper.

What vis-à-vis the Framework Agreement is the dispute resolution clause in the event either Singapore or Indonesia cannot come to an agreement after the end of the 25-year period?

Mr Speaker, as I have said, our focus right now is to get the ratification done through the domestic processes of both sides. This is an indication of how both countries can work together and work their own domestic processes for the joint benefit of both countries.

Each of the agreements lasts for 25 years – the DCA and the FIR Agreement. If there are disputes, both sides will consult and reach an amicable settlement. What happens after 25 years is that the existing arrangements will continue until we reach a new agreement.

For the FIR, Singapore will certainly continue to discharge its responsibilities to provide air navigation services in a safe and efficient way for civil air traffic.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have two clarifications. On the point of what the Senior Minister has said, the focus is to get the expanded agreement in force. So, I guess the question is what is being done now to ensure that those agreements will come into force? How do we get these three agreements into force?

On another question: the Minister for Transport had indicated that these agreements, like the FIR, will benefit Changi Airport and Singapore. But could the Minister provide more information and details on how these would benefit both Changi Airport as well as Singapore?

On bringing the three agreements into force simultaneously, as I have said in my Statement, both Prime Minister Lee and President Jokowi have expressed the desire to bring these three agreements into force as soon as possible. Each side will have to go through their own domestic ratification processes, and I do understand that Indonesia has already commenced this process. We are also going through the process on our side.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for her question, which is an important one, specifically, how this agreement benefits Changi Airport. So, if I may underscore a point that I made earlier, this is an agreement that does not just benefit Changi Airport, it actually also benefits Indonesian airports, for example, Batam, Bintan and Tanjung Pinang and, perhaps most crucially, it also benefits international civil aviation on the point of ensuring its safety and efficiency.

And once we keep that as the baseline, then we can look ahead because what it means is that despite all the forecasts for growth in aviation in the Asia Pacific region, unless we are able to ensure traffic is managed well, smoothly and, most importantly, safely, we will not be able to benefit collectively or individually from that growth. So, what this agreement does is that it not only gives us clarity on an important matter for both sides but also for the international aviation community which has a strong interest in this matter.

With that as the foundation, we can then proceed to work on other important initiatives, whether it is investment in technology, infrastructure and also building closer cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore, in terms of aviation cooperation and, of course, extending beyond that into other areas.

So, I would say that, at its core, this agreement, once it has gone through the entire process and comes into force, it will provide clarity, certainty and, therefore, give confidence to all parties involved to then proceed with the necessary initiatives to prepare for the growth in aviation in our part of the world.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think these agreements are very good for both Singapore and Indonesia. I just have one clarification.

The intention is for all the agreements to come into force at the same time. But if, in the ratification process, say, only one or two get ratified and one or two did not, what will happen to all three agreements in that situation?

The agreement between both countries is to bring into force all three agreements simultaneously. There is good reason for it. It is because the negotiations were conducted concurrently and it has achieved a good balance of benefits across all three agreements. Hence, both countries have agreed that the best way to resolve these three outstanding issues is to discuss them together, come to agreements on them at the same time and then to bring them into force concurrently.

That will provide a resolution to all these three outstanding issues at the same time. I think that will bring many benefits to both countries so that it will reduce any chances of misunderstandings and provide a very strong basis for future cooperation.

I should say that in any negotiation, of course, each side would want to push for its maximum benefits.

But to have a good outcome, each side also has to look at the wider benefits, the wider interests that come from working together and arriving at an agreement, rather than not having an agreement. So, I think that in these negotiations, both sides took that view – that it is actually in our shared interest, in our enlightened self-interests, to come to an agreement on these three outstanding issues so that we can progress our bilateral relations on a broader front.

Sir, under this agreement, before the end of the 25 years, is Indonesia permitted to apply to ICAO to manage the airspace which is delegated to Singapore to manage if they feel that they are ready to provide air navigation services and this could include the airspace closest to Changi Airport? If so, how would the change in ANS provider affect aviation safety and security, the efficiency and the status of us as an aviation hub? Secondly, will the Government be making available the maps of the new Flight Information Regions for the public to have a better picture, literally, of the outcome of these agreements?

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his question. If I may reiterate, the delegation arrangement under the FIR Agreement is for 25 years and it also states that it shall be extended by mutual consent if both sides find it beneficial to do so. Indonesia and Singapore will consult each other and ICAO prior to the end of 25 years to ensure safety and efficiency of international civil aviation beyond the 25 years.

Therefore, this is an agreement and, at its heart, its durability is underpinned by this set of provisions. Any deviations from this will have to be resolved through bilateral discussions and consultation and, ultimately, approval from ICAO, which will also involve consultation with stakeholders. So, I think it would be premature to consider any other alternatives. At this point, our focus is to bring these agreements into force, operationalise them. Because many of the questions that are being posed are hypothetical. Because we need to implement them, understand them fully and appreciate the value and the impact they have on the way we manage collectively air navigation services. Then, that will inform future decisions.

On the maps itself, I think this is something that will have to be through bilateral consultation, the decision. At this point, we are not releasing the maps.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have a question for the Minister for Transport. Specific to the arrangement of the delegation of the FIR, may I know what are the benefits direct to Singapore?

So, as I have said, there is a broader value that this agreement brings for the international civil aviation. Without that assurance, it is really difficult to contemplate how we can move forward for Changi Airport and Singapore, because, ultimately, we are an international aviation hub and, central to that, is our ability to ensure the aircraft landings and take-offs in Changi Airport can be done safely and efficiently. I would say that this is not a unique consideration for Singapore. All airports around the world, especially major aviation hubs, will take this into account, and, in fact, it is central. It would also be the case for Indonesia and its airports. So, whilst we are talking and focusing on Changi Airport, in particular, and our needs, I want to emphasise that this actually brings benefits for all parties, including Indonesian airports.

So, specifically for us, what it means is, with that assurance, we can now focus on also a range of other initiatives which will help to enhance the services that we can provide in terms of air navigation but also others to support the broader aviation sector in Singapore. It also means that in our discussions with aviation sector stakeholders, including potential investors and companies which want to set up operations here, we are now able to give them greater clarity on the matter and we can move forward on that basis. We are, as the Member by virtue of her background would be aware, looking also at various investments in technology and so on, which will enable us to enhance the quality of services that we can provide from Changi Airport. This, again, is going to be an important part of the work going forward.

So, if I may go back to what I said in response to an earlier question, whilst the details will evolve as we see the situation developing, the key thing is that this agreement, at its foundation, gives us the clarity, certainty and confidence to move forward on many issues, not just in the interest of Changi Airport, but also in our bilateral interests in terms of aviation cooperation and how we can better serve the international aviation community as air travel grows in Asia.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank Senior Minister Teo Che Hean and the Minister for Transport for the Ministerial Statements and I think it is useful also to say thanks to the officers of the various agencies and Ministries for making this agreement a possibility between both Singapore and Indonesia. I have two supplementary questions.

The first is in relation to what the Minister answered just now broadly. In terms of the FIR Agreement, how does it essentially improve bilateral transport cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia, particularly bilateral aviation ties, which Minister has mentioned, but going forward beyond airports?

My second clarification is with regard to this agreement. It definitely provides a good opportunity for both Singapore and Indonesia to work together better within the 25 years and I think also beyond the 25 years. My clarification is on how we can actually see this as a positive outlook as we look forward in the post-25 year phase as technology changes and, particularly, in the area of air traffic control safety for both countries, Singapore and Indonesia.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his words of appreciation for the various officials who have been engaged in, as Senior Minister Teo described, extensive and intensive discussions on this very important matter and it has been a multi-agency effort involving many Ministries, the Attorney-General's Chambers, and I think it is important that this House puts on record our deep appreciation for their signal contributions to this outcome.

Secondly, as I respond to the Member's question on bilateral ties, I am reminded of today's date and its significance for bilateral relations. I think in that spirit, it is important that we see this as an opportunity to build strong, durable and mutually beneficial ties between Indonesia and Singapore. Of course, specifically, in the context of aviation, because we are talking about the FIR Agreement here, but really as a foundation for doing more together.

So, what it means is understanding – and, in fact, I made this point in my Ministerial Statement. One of the reasons we were able to get to this outcome is because both sides had a shared commitment to ensuring the safety and efficiency of international civil aviation. I think that is key because it means we understand that this is the paramount objective.

Then we have our respective interests that we need to then reconcile. That is what this process has been about. It has been a consultative process, there have been discussions over an extended period and we have now arrived at an outcome that we believe is good for Indonesia, Singapore and international civil aviation.

Looking ahead, I think what it means is it allows both sides to now focus on operationalising the arrangement, getting more familiar with each other in terms of how we can cooperate further, building confidence and building trust. That is essential because, as Senior Minister Teo made it very clear, we are neighbours, and we will be neighbours well beyond 25 years. So, it is important that at the foundation of our relationship, we have that confidence and trust. And that is the basis on which we want to go forward. So, we will be working on these various initiatives and, I might add that it is very hard to anticipate the trajectory of civil aviation over two and a half decades. A lot has happened in the last 25 years. Indeed, a lot has happened in the last five, six years and we must expect a lot more may happen in the next 25 years.

If I may just give you one example. We have the Singapore Airshow on and I met with some aviation officials this morning and one of the focal points is what in the industry they call "network operational efficiencies". This is really about how, between the aircraft avionics and the air navigation service provisions, we can optimise so as to minimise the impediments to smooth flows, because when you have those impediments caused by congestion, weather events and so on, it means aircraft have to circle, burn extra fuel and so on, and it takes on an even more significant hue when we consider these sorts of matters in the context of the broader climate change challenge and the kind of sustainability initiatives that we want to work on. I am just citing that as one example of how we can work together and there are many other areas. But this agreement creates the foundation upon which we can build that stronger, bilateral partnership.

I just wanted to say that I think it is a great outcome for both countries and, given that it has taken us so much time to get to where we are, as the duration of the three agreements are about 25 years, I wonder whether it is possible that we could have a situation where it is an auto renewal, rather than a review followed by a renewal. I am just changing it slightly with a view that we want to secure the future for both countries and for the global community, particularly for global travel. Something for consideration.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his question and I understand fully the intent behind it. I would say we have an agreement today. It is a good agreement. I think the first and most important thing is for us to make sure they are ratified and they enter into force. And then, I think we have the time and opportunity to work on a whole slew of initiatives to foster that closer cooperation and understanding.

As I pointed out in my Ministerial Statement, there are all kinds of partnerships in the provision of air navigation services around the world. So, I would not preclude any option going forward, but the basis for ideas like what the Member has suggested, really is that it must be premised on first having a close understanding and cooperation between all the parties concerned and this must be borne out by experience that it can work to mutual benefit and accommodate the needs of both sides well.

So, I think we need to focus on this first. I would not preclude alternative structures going forward. But neither do I want to hasten into those sorts of discussions at this point. I think, in general, from a Government point of view, what we have today is a good agreement. Agreements can always be better, but the converse can also be true. So, it is about making sure what we have works and works well for all parties. I think that would then give us the basis on which to build for the future.