CAAS revised its foreign pilot licencing requirements

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has revised its foreign pilot licencing requirements. The amendments, which kicked in on 1 November 2007, benefit the aviation industry in Singapore by widening the pool of pilots that airlines can employ.

The revision is part of CAAS’ continuing efforts to ensure that the licensing requirements

meet the current demands of the aviation industry while ensuring that safety standards

are maintained in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

requirements.

Typically, in multi-crew airline operations, a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) holder can only serve as a co-pilot whereas an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) holder is able to act as the pilot-in-command of the aircraft. Before the revision, foreign pilots who held an ATPL were not allowed to convert to a Singapore CPL, if they did not meet our ATPL requirements. In addition, a foreign pilot wishing to convert his CPL or ATPL to a Singapore equivalent had to pass certain ground examinations, as well as flight tests on the aircraft. Previously, only foreign pilots from specific States [Malaysia, HK and the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) member states], whose examinations bear similarities with Singapore’s, were exempted from the ground examinations.

The revisions are as follows:

a) Foreign pilots who do not meet requirements to convert to a Singapore ATPL can now convert their licences to a Singapore CPL, provided they meet Singapore’s CPL requirements. The amendment benefits both Singapore carriers by widening their recruitment pool, as well as the foreign pilots, who an now gain employment first as a co-pilot.

b) Exemptions from certain ground examinations are granted to foreign pilots from all ICAO Contracting States, provided they are highly experienced pilots with more than 3,000 flying hours.

c) A new requirement has been introduced requiring a foreign pilot to have at least 500 multi-crew flying hours in civil transport aircraft, out of a total flying experience of 3000 hours, in order to convert to a Singapore ATPL. This ensures that pilots who previously flew in mostly single-crew operations gain sufficient experience in civil multi-crew transport operations before they can act as a commander.

The revisions follow consultations and feedback from industry players. It ensures that Singapore’s licencing requirements continue to meet the demands of the industry, while maintaining safety standards in accordance with ICAO requirements.

Source: American Shipper