Changi Airport flights unaffected by haze

Changi Airport flights unaffected by haze

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has said flights at Changi Airport are not affected by the haze which reached unhealthy levels on Thursday.

The three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading rose to 108 at 6pm. A PSI reading between 101-200 is considered unhealthy.

Responding to media queries, CAAS pointed out that Changi Airport is equipped with facilities and procedures to allow safe landing of aircraft in low visibility conditions.

This is in accordance with international standards.

The airport is equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) which provides guidance to pilots for their landing on the runway.

CAAS said the pilot's decision to land is based on the Runway Visual Range, which is the range over which the pilot can see along the runway.

This can be reduced if the haze is severe.

CAAS said that flights can still land at Changi Airport safely even when the Runway Visual Range is below 500 metres.

The visibility reading at Changi Airport on Thursday is between 1,500 and 1,800 metres.

From past experience, the visibility at Changi Airport due to haze has not gone below 550 metres.

During the prolonged haze period in 1997, the lowest visibility reading at Changi Airport was about 800 metres.

Asked about the haze situation, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "It is a matter of very serious concern as a health hazard that has not just affected Singapore but also the southern part of West Malaysia."

He said Singapore's Ambassador in Jakarta has been instructed to inform the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry that Foreign Minister George Yeo would like to speak to his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa on Friday.

Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, has also contacted his Indonesian counterpart to register the Republic's concerns.

Separately, Channel NewsAsia has learnt that Indonesia is the only ASEAN member that has not ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

The news network also understands that the Indonesian State Minister for the Environment, Prof Dr Gusti Muhammad Hatta, did not attend the 6th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Brunei on October 13.

-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-