The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have joined forces to launch a national programme aimed at tackling the effects of weather on aviation. The initiative is designed to strengthen Singapore’s aviation meteorological capabilities and better manage the impact of changing weather patterns on flights and airport operations.
The agencies said in a joint media release on Tuesday (Dec 9) that unpredictable weather has caused more flight delays, diversions, turbulence, and other safety concerns globally, and Singapore is not immune.
Bringing Experts Together
The new Aviation Meteorological Programme will bring together aviation experts, meteorologists, airline companies, and unions. Its goal is to build stronger research and operational capabilities to predict, mitigate, and manage the effects of weather on air traffic control, airlines, and airports.
The programme will focus on five key areas: lightning, turbulence, convective weather, surface winds, and condensation trails, also known as contrails.
Lightning
“Singapore is one of the world’s most lightning-prone countries,” said CAAS and NEA. Lightning poses safety risks to airport workers and can delay flights and baggage handling.
Currently, lightning risk notifications cover a 6km radius around Changi Airport, but the airport’s footprint is expected to almost double with Terminal 5. To address this, the agencies aim to improve lightning forecasts using historical data, electromagnetic modelling, and algorithm-driven predictions. The plan is to enhance worker safety, reduce downtime, and take a more targeted, zone-based approach.
Turbulence and Convective Weather
With severe turbulence incidents on the rise globally, the agencies will strengthen in-flight turbulence predictions and provide airlines with more timely and actionable weather information.
Convective weather, which includes thunderstorms that create sudden wind shear, will also be better predicted. From January to November 2025, 55 flights at Changi Airport were diverted due to bad weather, compared to just nine in the same period the year before.
Surface Winds and Contrails
Accurate surface wind forecasts will help manage runway changes and optimise airport capacity, while research on contrails in the Asia-Pacific region will guide mitigation strategies and contribute to global policies on their effects on climate change.
Collaboration and Leadership
A steering committee will guide the programme, co-chaired by CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan and NEA CEO Wong Kang Jet, with members from Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines, SIA Engineering, SATS, NTUC, and ICAI.
“Changes in weather patterns are affecting aviation operations all over the world, including in Singapore,” said Mr Han. “We take this seriously and are taking concrete steps to address it through better leveraging technology, integrating national aviation and meteorology expertise, and regional partnership.”
Ms Koh Li-Na, director-general of NEA’s Meteorological Service Singapore, added: “This initiative will allow meteorological service providers to improve predictability of weather systems in the region and tailor solutions to support aviation stakeholders.”
