The new Aviation (Miscellaneous Amendments Bill), which details the new rules, is expected to be passed in Parliament on March 19.
Changi Airport is taking a tougher stance on tardy airlines with penalties being rolled out in the next few months for the first time to better manage on-time flight arrivals.
The new Aviation (Miscellaneous Amendments Bill), which details the new rules, is expected to be passed in Parliament on March 19. When that happens, the proposed changes could see not only repeated or intentional latecomers, but also earlybirds who disrupt schedules be fined up to S$100,000 (US$75,867) and risk losing their landing slots, reported The Straits Times.
Exact operational details are expected to be made known to airlines in due time.
The move comes as demand for air travel in the Asia Pacific is estimated to triple over the next two decades.
While a third landing strip is currently being built at the airport, it will only be operational only in the early 2020s. Until then, Changi Airport has to utilise its two existing runways effectively, said industry experts who pointed out that other airports like London’s Heathrow also have similar penalties in place.
When flights come in early or late, it puts pressure on air navigation systems and air traffic controllers who need to slot in more flights during a specific period.
While punctuality should benefit everyone in theory, airlines raised concerns that not all airports are as efficient, and delays that happen elsewhere can have a trickle down effect. In addition, different parties control multiple air zones, which further adds to the complexity.