CAAS chief eyes rebuilding of Singapore air hub

The head of the Civil Aviation Authority Singapore (CAAS) believes 2022 will be a year of rebuilding Singapore’s position as a leading international hub. CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan notes that air travel is essential for Singapore, which thrives on connectivity with other countries. He notes that the coronavirus pandemic has “severely impacted” this connectivity. “The survival and continued success of our air hub is existential to Singapore, an island state which relies on our connectivity to the world for people-to-people exchanges, the flow of goods, capital and talent, and our position as an international financial and business centre,” he says. “Therefore, government assistance in the last two years has been critical in helping to retain Singapore’s connectivity with the world and in helping companies and workers retain core capabilities built up over many years.” Han notes that air travel sectors in both Europe and North America have staged strong recoveries, and that this demonstrates the resilience of air travel demand, and how quickly things bounce back when restrictions are removed. Asia, however, will likely trail behind the rest of the world, with the risk of new coronavirus variants<br/>