Singapore will strengthen aviation meteorological capabilities and regional collaboration to better tackle the effects of weather on aviation.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore have established a new multidisciplinary Aviation Meteorological Programme to bring together aviation and meteorology experts as well as aviation companies and unions to build research, development and operations capabilities to better predict, mitigate and manage the effects of weather on air traffic control, airlines and airport operations.
The programme focuses on five priority areas, each addressing a critical weather phenomenon that affects aviation operations in Singapore and the region:
Lightning. Singapore, located near the Equator, is amongst the world’s most lightning-prone countries. The Changi Climate Station observes lightning on nearly one in two days each year. CAAS and NEA will aim to minimise the impact of cloud-to-ground lightning by improving lightning forecast precision, through initiatives including a more precise density map of lightning strikes at Changi Airport based on historical data, electromagnetic modelling of lightning interaction with aircraft, airport infrastructure and human beings and algorithms to enhance nowcasting of lightning events and zone-based lightning risk assessment.
- Turbulence. Severe turbulence incidents have risen globally, posing safety risks to passengers and crew. In September 2025, Singapore became the first country to classify severe turbulence as a major in-flight risk, through CAAS’ National Aviation Safety Plan (2025-2027). Both agencies will seek to strengthen in-flight turbulence prediction and provide airlines with more timely, reliable and actionable weather information.
- Convective Weather. Weather-related flight delays and diversions have increased. Convective weather in the region means that thunderstorms causing wind shear can occur and dissipate abruptly, making them hard to predict. CAAS and NEA will work towards improving convective weather forecasting to support real-time decision-making and optimise airport operations.
- Surface Winds. For safety reasons, CAAS air traffic controllers need to determine runway direction for aircraft to fly into the wind for take-off and landing. Rapidly shifting winds can result in multiple runway changes, reducing runway capacity and pose challenges to air traffic controllers and pilots. CAAS and NEA will work to improve the accuracy and timeliness of surface wind forecasts to better plan for runway changes and optimise runway use.
- Contrails. CAAS and NEA will work on strengthening scientific knowledge on contrails particularly in the Asia-Pacific region where the atmospheric conditions differ from that in Europe and North America and data is limited. This will help inform future mitigation strategies and contribute to global policy development.
An Aviation Meteorological Programme Steering Committee has been set up to direct the work of the programme. The Committee is co-chaired by Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS and Mr Wong Kang Jet, Chief Executive Officer of NEA. Other members of the Committee include senior representatives from Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA), SIA Engineering Company, SATS, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and International Centre for Aviation Innovation (ICAI). The Committee will initiate projects to develop new concepts of operation and tools, and review policies to support their adoption if needed.
As weather patterns and the effects of weather on aviation operations cross geographical boundaries, CAAS says regional collaboration is needed for effective mitigation strategies. Consequently, CAAS and NEA have initiated and signed a Letter of Intent to collaborate with six other air navigation service providers and meteorological service providers, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) and others.
Under the Letter of Intent, the parties agree to strengthen regional integration, identify and pursue joint research and development priorities, enhance sharing and integration of weather data for better situational awareness and decision making, and build capability to more effectively tackle the challenges posed by adverse weather and manage its operational impacts.
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