Enhancing Remuneration, Career Progression and Workplace Arrangements for Aviation Workers to Sustain Strong Local Workforce Presence in Airport Services

Mr Alex Yeo asked the Acting Minister for Transport in light of CAAS's plans to enhance workplace environments and experiences for aviation workers, whether the Ministry will work with aviation companies and unions to introduce more competitive remuneration, career progression and appropriate workplace arrangements to make aviation roles more attractive to young Singaporeans, so as to sustain a strong Singaporean workforce presence in the provision of airport services.

The Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) work closely with tripartite partners to attract, develop and retain a strong Singaporean workforce in the aviation sector, which directly employs more than 60,000 workers. As air travel grows and Changi Airport expands with Terminal 5, we are working on three fronts to keep aviation a meaningful career choice for Singaporeans.

First, we are transforming jobs into higher-value roles so that as the sector adopts technology and artificial intelligence, Singaporeans can capture these opportunities and command competitive wages. The Aviation Jobs Transformation Report published in July 2025 guides this effort and CAAS has committed $200 million to the OneAviation Manpower Fund over five years for initiatives to support the aviation workforce. This is complemented by Workforce Singapore's initiatives, such as its Career Conversion Programmes.

Second, we are supporting Singaporeans as they develop their careers. In May 2026, CAAS and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) launched the inaugural sector-wide OneAviation Early Careers Mentorship Programme to promote structured mentorship at scale for young workers joining the sector. At the same time, with support from CAAS, the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster of Unions announced a new Youth Chapter to strengthen engagement with and support for young workers in the sector. The mentorship programme aims to provide structured mentorship to around 2,200 early-career workers over five years.

Third, we are enhancing the workplace experience to make aviation a more attractive career choice. CAAS has launched a review of the end-to-end worker journey at Changi Airport and Changi Airfreight Centre, with a focus on common worker facilities and amenities.

Together with our tripartite partners, we will sustain attractive and sustainable careers and a strong Singaporean core in the aviation industry.