Singapore’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan has rebutted his Malaysian counterpart’s stance on the Instrument Landing System (ILS) implemented at Seletar Airport, stating that the Republic’s northern neighbour is using a “technical excuse” to push for a shift in the management of Pasir Gudang’s airspace.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday (12 Dec), Mr Khaw added that while the video posted by Anthony Loke is “a good video”, he said that it “contains a few inaccuracies”, such as the claim that the ILS could potentially serve as a safety risk, in comparison to a manual system.
“That is not how ILS works. ILS is like auto pilot in an aircraft. It is a tool for the pilot,” said Mr Khaw.
“The pilot can always have manual intervention if security concerns require it… The pilot retains full control throughout the flight.”
However, Mr Khaw said that a “mutually technically satisfactory solution can be found” should technical issues be the root of Malaysia’s protest against the ILS.
“Even a mobile crane would have breached” height limits imposed by the ILS: Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke
Malaysia’s objection towards the implementation of the ILS has its roots in “the flight path that Singapore wants to use for that ILS”, according to the video posted on Mr Loke’s official Facebook page on Wednesday (12 Dec).
“Singapore’s Seletar Airport is merely 2km from Pasir Gudang, Malaysia,” the video illustrates, along with a Google terrain map image, before it goes on to illustrate height restrictions that it claimed “even a mobile crane would have breached” at 103m.
In a footage from a press conference that was included in the 1:35-minute long video, Mr Loke was observed as saying: “We can’t even build tall buildings over Pasir Gudang if we allow that flight path”.
The video goes on to stress that “our Pasir Gudang Port will be subjected to higher risks and multiple restrictions”.
Previously, it says, even in the absence of the ILS, “pilots can maneuver around obstacles, and no height regulation is required around the flight path area”.
However, with the implementation of the ILS, the imposition of height limits is now “compulsory”, the video states, as it demonstrates the area that will be adversely affected by the height restrictions, “from Pasir Gudang up north to Ayer Tawar and almost to Kota Tinggi”.
The footage of the same press conference is again seen at 1:19, with Mr Loke emphasising that “Our position is very clear – we are not against Seletar, but as far as the descending flight path is concerned, it cannot be over Pasir Gudang”.
“We urge Singapore to withdraw the ILS announcement and to amend the flight path as per our request,” concluded Mr Loke.
