IATA to grow presence in Singapore

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Government of Singapore have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate the further growth and development of IATA's Regional Office for Asia-Pacific, which is located in Singapore. The MoU was signed today by Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO, and Raymond Lim, Singapore's Minister for Transport.

"Singapore is IATA's home in Asia-Pacific. From here we drive programs to support the safe and efficient development of aviation in the rapidly developing Asia-Pacific market. The support that we will receive from the Singapore government under today's agreement will enhance Singapore's role as a regional hub and position IATA well to deliver its leadership priorities in the region," said Bisignani.

The IATA Regional Office in Singapore employs 80 staff. The office covers a range of IATA's work including teams dedicated to industry advocacy, communications and technical issues such as safety, operations, infrastructure development and security. The Singapore office is also the hub for IATA's financial systems in the region which process over $45 billion in settlements annually.

IATA's presence in Singapore dates to 1969. Its responsibilities cover the Asia-Pacific region from Pakistan and India in the west, to Japan and South Korea in the north and New Zealand in the extreme south and east.

New Aviation Scholarships

IATA also established the Sir William Hildred and Guenter Eser Aviation Scholarships in cooperation with Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The scholarships, named after former IATA Director Generals, will sponsor up to 12 individuals attending the newly developed Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) in aviation management at NTU, due to launch in 2012.

"These scholarships reflect our commitment to strengthen our Singapore presence and to working with local institutions to deliver regional leadership. They also reflect our commitment to developing the next generation of leaders for the aviation industry," said Bisignani.

The Sir William Hildred Scholarship will provide tuition and support for Singaporean students and permanent residents, while the Gunter Eser Scholarship will provide support for non-Singapore nationals.

In September 2010, IATA signed a cooperation agreement with NTU to work together to support human capital development for the aviation industry. As a result of this agreement the two organizations will:

From September 2011 offer an Advanced Management Program in air transport management

In 2012 offer an Executive MBA in Aviation management.

These programs will enhance and support Singapore's status as IATA's most important training center in the world in terms of both the number of students trained and the number of courses offered.

"Our vision is to make Singapore the platform for the development of a new generation of aviation executives leading Asia's aviation growth. The two scholarships will have an important role in developing the future leaders of our industry," said Bisignani.

Vision 2050

The announcements come as 35 global strategic thinkers associated with the air transport industry gather in Singapore for IATA's Vision 2050 initiative on 11-12 February. The initiative was launched at IATA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Berlin, Germany last June. After a decade dominated by crises, Vision 2050 will use the window of opportunity provided by two consecutive years of industry profitability (albeit weak) to look ahead to where the air transport industry should be in four decades and discuss near term objectives to achieve the vision.

The 35 participants will benefit from the inspirational leadership of Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and the competitive expertise of Harvard University's Professor Michael Porter. The Vision 2050 results will be reported to IATA's next AGM in June 2011.

"This weekend, Singapore will play a special role in building the future of our industry. We have a big task ahead of us. By 2050, passenger numbers will grow from 2.4 billion to 16 billion and the cargo business will expand from 40 million tonnes to 400 million tonnes. Ensuring that this growth is successful in meeting the needs of our customers safely, sustainably and profitably is critical to the global economy. Singapore is the perfect place for such a discussion. It is located between two of our fastest growing markets. And the government has a long history of understanding the economic benefits of aviation and supporting its profitable development," said Bisignani.