Release
No: 14/OCTOBER
03A-l/94/10/08
SPEECH BY MR MAH BOW TAN,
FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
AT THE 66TH DINNER AND DANCE
OF THE SINGAPORE FLYING CLUB
ON 8 OCTOBER 1994 AT 8.OOPM, PLAZA HOTEL
MINISTER
The Wright Brothers manned the first
sustained
flight
in 1903.
It took 16 years before the first
plane flew 3000 odd kilometre
Barely six months
across the North Atlantic
Ocean in June 1919.
after the first
aerial crossing of the Atlantic,
the first
airplane
landed in Singapore
on the first
transcontinental
flight
from
It was a Vickers Vimy, a heavy long-range
England to Australia.
Park on 4 Dec 1919, it had
bomber. When it landed at Farrer
already
left
London for 22 days, and had flown 13,900 km, making
of
many stops along the way. You might have known that a replica
the Vickers Vimy, flew into town yesterday
to commemorate the 75th
flight
from England
to
anniversary
of the transcontinental
Australia.
In 1927, Charles Lindberg flew solo across the Atlantic
Ocean
"The
Spirit
of
St.
Louis".
The
first
light
in the monoplane
flew over Singapore
for 10
a Cirrus
Moth seaplane,
aircraft,
minutes in 1928. In the same year, the Singapore Flying Club was
formed. The first
commercial aircraft
landed in Singapore's
Seletar
three airports
Since then, Singapore has built
Airport
in 1930.
for civil
aviation.
The first
was Kallang
Airport.
When it
opened in 1937, it
was
hailed
as the "finest
airport
in the British
Empire"'.
In 1955,
Paya Lebar 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 Changi Airport,
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
has named Changi as the world's
best airport
for the
Traveller"
seventh consecutive
time since 1988. In 1981, Changi Airport
was
handling
eight million
passenger movements and less than 200 000
received
20 million
tonnes of cargo.
In 1993, Changi Airport
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
and waitresses
at the restaurants,
the
at the shops, the waiters
cleaners -- the list goes on and on. All have played their part in
like a precision
watch.
making Changi Airport
tick,
These achievements
are possible
also because we capitalise
on
favourable
circumstances
and opportunities.
Globally,
there is a
greater
acceptance of air travel.
Trade and tourism
in the AsiaPacific
Region have also been experiencing
rapid growth, riding
on
the locomotive
of the region's
growing economies.
But most importantly,
liberal
aviation
policy
1
Wincester,
Clarence
vots.
The Waverly
our fundamentals are sound. Singapore's
is designed to make Singapore a critical
and Pritchard.
Book Co. London.
j.
Laurence
(editors)
(1938)
Wonders
of
World Aviation, 2
l
3
network
of air transportation.
node in the global
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
provide more opportunities
for carriers
to operate new services
and through Singapore as well as for Singapore's
carriers
to fly
more cities
and countries.
to
to
to
Air Services Agreements. We
Today, Singapore has 83 bilateral
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
Indonesia.
The agreement with
Indonesia
gives an
signed with
as
the
region
opens
up
for
trade,
indication
of things
to come:
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
Phones, faxes and satellites
allow
and information
technology.
people to establish
initial
contact
and discuss.
But ultimately,
and planes
make that happen.
they must travel
to meet. Pilots
is not just about establishing
But as you well know, flying
the channels for
links to trade. Flying is also about establishing
of ideas and of values. When the Singapore
exchanges of friendship,
in Penang, Johor,
Flying
Club meets its
foreign
counterparts,
ideas and friendship
will
be exchanged,
Jakarta
or elsewhere,
The-Republic
of
Singapore
Flying Club
horizons
will be broadened.
has formed good relationships
with some Flying
Clubs in Malaysia
and has participated
frequently
in regional
flying
meets. These
4
exchanges will
neighbours.
help to foster
closer
ties
between Singapore
and our
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
the
same
event
reaped
$40,000
which
were
donated
to
the
year,
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
an enjoyable
Dinner and Dance and many happy hours of flying
and
service
to Singapore in the years ahead.'
COMMS (3)/moct08.‘94
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