This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
SingaporeSnapShot SIA Cargo faces difficult time


In March, Changi airport-based Singapore Airlines Cargo (SIA Cargo) flew 1.9 percent less cargo-tonne miles than it did in the same month of 2011. However, with freight capac-


ity having been reduced by 2.6 percent year-on-year, the carri- er’s cargo load factor across its large fleet of passenger aircraft and its B747-400 freighters actually improved by 0.5 per- centage points. The carrier said that East


Asia continued to represent a difficult market, however, while the load factor on the Africa sector also declined on a year-on-


year comparison. n SIA’s regional wing, SilkAir, has confirmed that it will begin three times a week services to


Hanoi on 5 June. Vietnam’s second-largest city will be served by SilkAir subject to government approval but the hope is that, together with SIA’s daily flights, the destination will be served 10 times a week from Changi.


Singapore Customs takes proactive role


“As the single Customs and trade regulatory agency in Singapore, Singapore Cus- toms plays a proactive role in balancing the intricate requirements of three key functions, namely trade regu- lation, trade facilitation and trade security, in order to con- solidate Singapore’s position as a global trade hub,” says Lim Teck Leong, senior assis- tant director general (trade) for Singapore Customs. “These three key functions


are complementary to each other. In short, Singapore Customs aims to make trade easy, fair and secure,” he pointed out. “In the past, we were more of a trade regu-


Lim: “we take a whole-of- government approach”


lator and enforcer,” Lim continued. “However, over the years our roles have evolved, from the traditional functions of protecting revenue and society to active engagement and collab- oration in the international arena to facilitate trade. We do this to support global and regional economic integration and growth. “Trade is the lifeblood of Singapore,” he noted. “With growing complexity in global


trading patterns, a close Cus- toms - business partnership is of the utmost importance. “A holistic assessment of


companies and their business operations will enable Singa- pore Customs to keep abreast of each company’s changing needs and the overall industry development.” Lim said: “We take a whole-


of-government approach. We work with other government agencies to develop schemes and projects to facilitate the trading community. For example, through a multi- agency review, the Company


Declaration Scheme was conceived to facili- tate third-party logistics operating in the Airport Logistics Park of Singapore (ALPS). “Recently, Singapore Customs was also


involved in the Air Cargo Express Hub project, which allows faster turnaround time for air express companies by having direct airside access to facilitate the unrestricted flow of cargo to and from aircraft. We are committed to continually offer value-added solutions to the air freight industry,” he concluded.


Changi sees relatively stable cargo throughput


Singapore’s Changi Internation- al airport processed 163,000 tonnes of freight in March, a big number maybe, but still down by 1.8 percent on the same month of 2011. The month’s throughput


dragged down the year-on-year quarterly comparison. The gateway’s operator – Changi Airport Group – said that a total of 443,900 tonnes of cargo was handled between January and March, up by 0.6 percent year-on-year. Freight moving to and from the regions of


Southwest Pacific and South-East Asia were said to be particularly buoyant over the period, while volumes fell on the European and South Asian sectors. The first quarter’s small increase in cargo vol-


ume was not representative of the general traffic flows through the airport, however. The total


number of aircraft movements through Changi in the first quarter of 2012 rose by 12.9 percent year-on-year to reach 79,500, for example. As of last month (April), the gateway’s oper-


ating company said that Singapore Changi International airport offered links with more than 100 airlines to over 220 destinations across 60 countries.


ST Aerospace builds on growing its P2F business


Singapore’s ST Aerospace, the aerospace wing of ST Engineering that operates as an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) provider and also offers passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion work, has reported strong first-quarter business. It secured S$540 million (US$437 million) in new contracts over the first three months of


this year, one of the highlights of which was an order for 15 B757-200 conversions. Between January and March, ST Aerospace grew its modification offering by


receiving two supplemental type certificates for its B757-200 combi from the Euro- pean Aviation Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration.


Page 14


7 May 2012





Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16