Pre-flight Briefings for Pilots of All Departing Commercial Flights

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) requires pilots of all commercial flights departing from Singapore to undergo pre-flight briefings; (b) if so, who conducts these briefings and what are the contents of these briefings; and (c) whether the conduct and contents of pre-flight briefings are left to the discretion of individual airlines or flight operators.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) requires all Singapore carriers to provide their pilots with relevant information for their preparations before each flight. This must include weather information, Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), status of the aircraft, the estimated passenger and cargo load for the flight, and the recommended flight plan, amongst others. Our airlines usually provide the information through a pre-flight information package prepared by the respective airlines’ flight operations centres. CAAS does not mandate that such information for the pilots be provided through pre-flight briefings. This is consistent with international practice.

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