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Aviation sector to get another $187m as part of support measures

This article is more than 12 months old

An additional $187 million will be pumped into Singapore's hard-hit aviation sector, as part of efforts to extend aid under the enhanced aviation support package till March next year.

This will provide cost relief for the airlines, ground handlers, cargo agents and airport tenants in a sector that has borne the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said in a ministerial statement yesterday. It will also help the local carriers regain air connectivity to the world.

Mr Heng, who is also Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies and Finance Minister, unveiled this as part of a strategy to further support the hardest-hit sectors - aerospace, aviation and tourism.

The move will help these sectors retain core capabilities and position them for an eventual recovery, he explained.

The extended financial relief for airlines, ground handlers, cargo agents and other partners at Changi Airport and Seletar Airport would be provided through landing, parking and rental rebates, the Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said in a joint statement yesterday.

For airlines, these include: a 10 per cent landing charge rebate for all scheduled passenger flights landing here, a 50 per cent rental rebate for their lounges and offices within Changi Airport and Seletar Airport terminal buildings; and a full rebate on aircraft parking charges at both airports.

Ground handlers will get a 50 per cent rental rebate for their lounges and offices within the two airports' terminal buildings. There will also be a 10 per cent landing charge rebate for all scheduled freighter flights landing here, as well as a 20 per cent rental rebate for cargo agents tenanted at the Changi Airfreight Centre.

Yesterday, Mr Heng announced that companies in the badly affected aerospace, aviation and tourism sectors will get 50 per cent of wages paid for seven more months until March under the Jobs Support Scheme.

To help these sectors recover, the Government will work with companies to support workers with specialised skills and offer further help to retain their core capabilities.

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