Changi Aviation Summit Focused On Challenges, New Partnerships

The 2026 Changi Aviation Summit (CAS) in Singapore brought together more than 350 industry and government leaders to discuss global air travel in a disruptive world, how to adapt air connectivity, and how to meet air traffic growth demands while addressing sustainability.

The event, held in February, was organized by the Singapore Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in partnership with Changi Airport Group and IATA.

CAAS director general Han Kok Juan said Singapore’s aviation future was bright, but there were challenges.

“There are various geopolitical tensions and uncertainties, economic fragmentation, reconfiguration of trade and supply chains, and disruptive technologies. These are not unique to aviation, but they are felt very acutely in our sector,” he said.

“In a very uncertain and fractured world, we must remain connected, maintain our relevance, and continue to create value for the global aviation ecosystem.

“We need to navigate more turbulent skies to continue to succeed. We are investing in new capabilities, in sustainability, innovation and human capital, and strengthening global and public-private partnerships.”

Han added that industry-level partnerships would be critical to scaling the adoption of emerging technologies and leveraging Singapore’s aerospace ecosystem and regulatory credibility.

There were a number of partnerships and agreements announced at the summit, including an MoU between CAAS and the Singapore Sustainable Aviation Fuel Co. (SAFCo) to launch Singapore’s first voluntary SAF procurement trial. The program will bring together companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint to aggregate voluntary SAF demand through SAFCo.

Singapore and ICAO also signed an agreement to develop and deliver a new global leadership program on air navigation services for civil aviation directors general. The program provides a platform to work together to build airspace capacity and capabilities.

CAAS, the Singapore Economic Development Board, the International Centre for Aviation Innovation, and GE Aerospace signed an MoU to establish a partnership that will develop next generation aviation and aerospace technologies, including AI applications and airspace modernization systems.

IATA director general Willie Walsh highlighted two key industry challenges in his opening remarks: the continuing supply chain crisis and the insufficient progress in SAF development.

“We commissioned a report [on the supply chain crisis] last year which estimated that the additional cost borne by the airline industry was over $11 billion, with two-thirds of that coming from additional fuel costs and maintenance costs as the industry is operating a fleet that is, on average, two years older than the long-term average because of the delays in the delivery of new aircraft. Regrettably, we see this disruption continuing for some time to come,” Walsh said.

“SAF output reached 1.9 million tons in 2025, representing just 0.6% of total jet fuel consumption … Mandates have pushed prices higher, which have discouraged voluntary demand and reduced output. SAF prices exceed fossil-based jet prices by a factor of more than two, while the evidence shows that in markets with mandates, that factor can increase to four times.”

Another speaker, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, brought attention to the US air traffic management (ATM) system and the importance of an initiative to modernize it.

The US system is “enormous,” he said, handling some 18 million IFR flights a year. But some of the system’s equipment goes back as far as the 1950s and almost 90% of the agency’s investment dollars are spent on maintenance.

“The most difficult thing is to find common ground” across all stakeholders, including airlines and other users like those in the general aviation, military, space and drone sectors, Bedford said. “But we have the willpower, the monetary investment and a great plan; we just have got to execute it,” he said.

“We didn’t start with the [cost] numbers and how to pay for it. We started with what was the cost of not doing it.”

—Chen Chuanren contributed to this report