Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority and Thales will jointly establish an International Avionics Lab in Singapore to develop air traffic management and airport operations solutions for the Asia-Pacific region.
The lab, scheduled to open next year, will initially employ six to eight engineers and focus on testing and developing solutions based on real-world operational scenarios. Partners including Changi Airport Group, SATS, Singapore Airlines and the International Centre for Aviation Innovation signed an agreement this week to launch the International Avionics Lab.
The facility will be Thales' first avionics lab outside France and will use the company's cortAIx artificial intelligence accelerator launched in Singapore. The lab will also collaborate with the existing AIR Lab, jointly established by CAAS and Thales in 2019 for air traffic management solutions.
Key research areas will include air traffic optimization by combining airlines' flight operations and cockpit data with air traffic management information. AI-enabled algorithms will detect and predict holding patterns around Changi Airport to manage congestion and reduce flight delays.
The lab will also focus on digitalizing and optimizing data shared between airlines, air traffic management and airports. Data from aircraft sensors including cameras and inflight entertainment systems will provide real-time automated information to complement existing data streams from ground infrastructure.
"The CAAS-Thales International Avionics Lab is a good example of what Singapore offers to international technology companies - an integrated ecosystem which allows them to quickly plug and play and develop new concepts and solutions," said Han Kok Juan, director-general of CAAS.
Emily Tan, country director and CEO for Thales in Singapore, said: "The International Avionics Lab in Singapore will be the first of its kind for Thales outside of France, bringing our expertise in avionics, air traffic management, data analytics, cybersecurity and AI to the fore."
The initiative leverages Singapore's One Aviation ecosystem, comprising CAAS as safety regulator and air navigation service provider, Singapore Airlines as the national carrier, Changi Airport Group as the airport operator, and SATS as the ground handler.
Yannick Assouad, executive vice president avionics at Thales, described the lab as "an opportunity to bring our avionics technologies and expertise into real-world testing environments and accelerate the development of breakthrough collaborative solutions."
The lab will harness Thales' global expertise in avionics, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence while creating local job opportunities in Singapore's aviation workforce. The initiative supports Singapore's strategy to establish itself as a hub for aviation innovation and strengthen its position as a global air hub.