Overview

Established in 1958, the Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA) is the internationally-recognised training arm of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

We offer a comprehensive breadth of training in various disciplines through our four specialised schools - School of Aviation Management, School of Aviation Safety and Security, School of Air Traffic Services and School of Airport Emergency Services. Programmes range from leadership and management to specialised and operational, benchmarking international standards and best practices.

Many of our programmes are developed in line with the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to assist the States in meeting ICAO’s regulatory, operational, safety and security mandates. Graduate programmes, jointly offered with reputable institutes serve the continuous learning needs of aviation professionals.

We also serve as a nexus for the global discussion of pertinent aviation-related topical issues by organising international conferences and hosting meetings.

Our Vision

To be the world's premier centre of learning for civil aviation.

Our Mission

To provide the highest quality of training, and the sharing of knowledge and experience, for the advancement of international civil aviation.

SAA Offers a Wide Range of Operational, Management and Leadership Programmes That are Benchmarked Against International Standards and Best Practices to Meet the Training Needs of the Global Aviation Community.

Some Facts

140⁺
courses annually

129000⁺
local and international participants

200⁺
countries and territories

30⁺
worldwide aviation alliances

Our History
60 years of Engaging Aviation Minds

2017

SAA has been re-certified as an ICAO Regional Training Centre of Excellence (RTCE) for the next three years. On 11 April 2017, the RTCE plaque was presented to SAA at the ICAO Global Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Symposium held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
2014

SAA was inaugurated as an ICAO Regional Training Centre of Excellence (RTCE) and ICAO Aviation Security Training Centre. As an RTCE, SAA will lead in the development and delivery of competency-based ICAO training courses in the authorised areas of Aerodromes, Flight Safety and Safety Management, and Security and Facilitation.
2012

SAA was designated as a full member of ICAO’s TRAINAIR PLUS Programme. This certification attested to SAA’s high standards in aviation training. It also affirmed SAA’s commitment to advance training and development of the next generation of aviation professionals globally.
2008

SAA celebrated its 50th anniversary and launched its fourth School- the School of Aviation Safety and Security. The School focuses on the crucial areas of safety and security, to more effectively meet global mandates.
2007

The SAA Advisory Board was established to provide guidance on SAA’s programme development.
2005

The SAA International Advisory Council was established to formulate SAA’s training strategies and chart its future direction.
2003

SAA organised the inaugural World Civil Aviation Chief Executives Forum, a platform for chief executives of the civil aviation industry across the globe to exchange views, share best practices and formulate strategies to deal with the challenges ahead.
2000

SAA was conferred the prestigious 34th Edward Warner Award by ICAO Council “in recognition of its eminent contribution as a centre of excellence in international civil aviation training” on behalf of ICAO’s then 185 Member States.
1996

SAA won the 1996 Flight International Aerospace Industry Award for training and was commended as a world-class training centre providing “a level and breadth of training unique in the Asia Pacific region”. SAA also achieved ISO 9001 certification for quality assurance in the design and conduct of its training programmes.
1995

Introduced its first two graduate diploma programmes in Aviation Management and Airport Engineering in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, respectively.
1992

SAA was officially opened on 2 November 1992 by Mr Mah Bow Tan, then Minister for Communications.
1990

CATC was renamed Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA) to reflect its expanded role as CAAS geared to upgrade the skills of aviation personnel to meet new challenges. SAA’s groundbreaking ceremony on 13 February 1990 was officiated by Dr Yeo Ning Hong, then Minister for Communications and Information.
1978

Selected by ICAO and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the Asia Pacific Regional Training Centre. Under this 10-year US$8 million training project, 1,500 government civil aviation personnel from 60 countries were trained.
1977

Designated ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Centre of Excellence for training in air traffic control, aircraft fire-fighting and rescue, and aeronautical information services.
1972

DCA Training School was renamed Civil Aviation Training Centre (CATC) and relocated to Seletar Airport to meet the increased training demand. New facilities included well-equipped classrooms, a reference library, training aids and equipment.
1969

A US$400,000 ‘supersonic age’ analog radar simulator was acquired – the first to be used in the region for air traffic control training.
1962

International participants were accepted for training in aeronautical cartography and aeronautical information services under the ICAO Technical Assistance Programme.
1958

SAA had its beginnings at the Paya Lebar Airport when the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Training School for air traffic controllers was established.