Release No: 14/OCTOBER 03A-l/94/10/08

SPEECH BY MR MAH BOW TAN, MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ENVIRONMENT AT THE 66TH DINNER AND DANCE OF THE FLYING CLUB ON 8 OCTOBER 1994 AT 8.OOPM, PLAZA HOTEL

The Wright Brothers manned the first sustained flight in 1903. It took 16 years before the first plane flew 3000 odd kilometre across the North Atlantic Ocean in June 1919. Barely six months after the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic, the first airplane landed in Singapore on the first transcontinental flight from England to Australia. It was a Vickers Vimy, a heavy long-range bomber. When it landed at Farrer Park on 4 Dec 1919, it had already left London for 22 days, and had flown 13,900 km, making many stops along the way. You might have known that a replica of the Vickers Vimy, flew into town yesterday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the transcontinental flight from England to Australia.

In 1927, Charles Lindberg flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean in the monoplane "The Spirit of St. Louis". The first light aircraft, a Cirrus Moth seaplane, flew over Singapore for 10 minutes in 1928. In the same year, the Singapore Flying Club was formed. The first commercial aircraft landed in Singapore's Airport in 1930. Since then, Singapore has built three airports for civil aviation.

The first was Airport. When it opened in 1937, it was hailed as the "finest airport in the British Empire"'. In 1955, Airport was opened to cope with the bigger aircraft and the growing number of airlines that were flying to Singapore. When we decided in 1975 to build , we wanted it to be one of the finest and most modern airports in the region.

I am pleased to say that since it opened in 1981, Changi Airport has lived up to our expectations. It has in fact been voted by no less than eight international travel magazines as the best airport in the world. This year, the UK magazine "Business Traveller" has named Changi as the world's best airport for the seventh consecutive time since 1988. In 1981, Changi Airport was handling eight million passenger movements and less than 200 000 tonnes of cargo. In 1993, Changi Airport received 20 million passenger movements and 838,000 tonnes of cargo.

These remarkable achievements are of course possible because of the outstanding men and women who work at the airport -- the Air Traffic Controllers, the Police and security officers, Customs and Immigration officers, the ground staff, the salesmen and women at the shops, the waiters and waitresses at the restaurants, the cleaners -- the list goes on and on. All have played their part in making Changi Airport tick, like a precision watch.

These achievements are possible also because we capitalise on l favourable circumstances and opportunities. Globally, there is a greater acceptance of air travel. Trade and tourism in the Asia- Pacific Region have also been experiencing rapid growth, riding on the locomotive of the region's growing economies.

But most importantly, our fundamentals are sound. Singapore's liberal aviation policy is designed to make Singapore a critical

1 Wincester, Clarence and Pritchard. j. Laurence (editors) (1938) Wonders of World Aviation, 2 vots. The Waverly Book Co. London. 3 node in the global network of air transportation. We aim to establish direct air services to more cities and countries, offering ourselves as the world's gateway to the region, and as the region's connection to the world.

Under the bilateral air services agreements, we seek to provide more opportunities for carriers to operate new services to and through Singapore as well as for Singapore's carriers to fly to more cities and countries.

Today, Singapore has 83 bilateral Air Services Agreements. We are linked to 55 countries and 121 cities. This year, 9 ASAs have been signed so far. The most recent was the successful Air Services Agreement with Indonesia, signed together with the Joint Tourism Cooperation agreement. This is the first time an ASA is officially signed with Indonesia. The agreement with Indonesia gives an indication of things to come: as the region opens up for trade, Singapore will be connected to many smaller airports in the region.

Air links are rapidly bringing the world closer to a global village. They give Singapore the crucial links to the village marketplace where we can trade. The other main driving force that is bringing the world and its markets closer is telecommunications and information technology. Phones, faxes and satellites allow people to establish initial contact and discuss. But ultimately, they must travel to meet. Pilots and planes make that happen.

But as you well know, flying is not just about establishing links to trade. Flying is also about establishing the channels for exchanges of friendship, of ideas and of values. When the Singapore Flying Club meets its foreign counterparts, in Penang, Johor, or elsewhere, ideas and friendship will be exchanged, horizons will be broadened. The-Republic of Singapore Flying Club has formed good relationships with some Flying Clubs in Malaysia and has participated frequently in regional flying meets. These 4 exchanges will help to foster closer ties between Singapore and our neighbours.

Despite its busy calendar of events, the Republic of Singapore Flying Club has continued to devote time and effort to charity. This is highly commendable. This year, the receipts for the Flight of Hope will be donated to the Singapore Children Society. Last year, the same event reaped $40,000 which were donated to the National Kidney Foundation and Community Chest. These events speak of the dynamism and compassion of the Club and its members.

As you mark the 66th anniversary of the Club, I wish you all l an enjoyable Dinner and Dance and many happy hours of flying and service to Singapore in the years ahead.'

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