Singapore and Japan have agreed to expand air services between and beyond both countries. The expanded agreement would nearly double the number of passenger flights that Singapore carriers can operate to Tokyo. Both Singapore and Japanese carriers may now also operate unlimited passenger and cargo flights between Singapore and all other cities in Japan.

Under the expanded agreement, Singapore carriers may operate four daily flights between Singapore and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport during the late night and early morning hours (10pm to 7am), following the scheduled completion of a new runway at Haneda Airport in October 2010. In addition, Singapore carriers may increase the number of flights between Singapore and Tokyo’s Narita Airport, following the completion of runway expansion works at the airport in March 2010.

The expansion also allows Singapore carriers to operate passenger flights beyond Osaka and Nagoya to the United States, while Japanese carriers can operate passenger flights beyond Singapore to India and the Middle East.

Mr Lim Kim Choon, Director-General & Chief Executive Officer, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, said, “This significant expansion of the air services agreement is a testament to the warm relations between Singapore and Japan, and a strong reflection of our mutual commitment to provide a liberal framework that will facilitate greater trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.”

The new agreement was reached after air services consultations between both countries held in Singapore on 17 to 18 September 2008. The delegations were led by Mr Lim and Mr Keiji Takiguchi, Deputy Director- General from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan.

Eight airlines currently operate 288 weekly scheduled flights between Singapore and nine cities in Japan. As at 1 September 2008, Changi Airport is served by 81 airlines operating over 4,400 weekly scheduled flights to 191 cities in 61 countries.