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| Executive Travel: Singapore |
Private Aviation
Michelle Seaton
09/01/2005
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As a portal to asia, the island nation of Singapore provides an excellent base
of operations for businesspeople utilizing private aircraft. Located between
Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore is near several regional business centers. For
example, a flight in a midsize private jet from Singapore to Hong Kong, Manila
or Macau is shorter than a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago. In a large business jet, a traveler can reach virtually any destination in the Far East
nonstop, including Japan and Taiwan. Long-range jets can also reach parts of
Australia, New Zealand and India. In fact, Singapore easily rivals Hong Kong as
a travel hub. Moreover, it has earned a much better reputation as a friendly
environment for business travelers.
With a land mass only 31¼2 times the size
of Washington, D.C., Singapore is
small enough that it needs just two airports to serve travelers. |
Because many countries in this part of
the world are small and share borders, pilots should be meticulous about
securing overflight permissions to fly into the airspace of any country along
the planned route before leaving on a trip to the region. A flight from the U.S.
to Singapore, for example, may require permissions from China, North Korea,
Russia and/or India, depending on the chosen route. If flight plans are
unpredictable or if you plan to make side trips from Singapore, you or your
pilot will need to work with an international handler that has experience
securing these permissions on short notice. Several multinational companies have
excellent reputations for planning international flights for private jets.
While Baseops International (800.333.3563, www.baseops.com) and Air Routing International
(713.430.7200, www.airrouting.com) are
both well able to help plan a trip to this region, Universal Airways
(800.231.5600, www.univ-wea.com) boasts
the best reputation in Asia. Universal Airways, also called Universal Weather
and Aviation, has long-standing connections with every country in the region,
and its staff has been known to perform minor miracles with local bureaucrats.
Ideally, you should plan to give any trip-planning service four to five days to
secure the many overflight permissions needed for a trip. On a trip from North
America to Singapore, travelers must also consider the number of crew members
needed for the flight. Normally two sets of pilots and an intermediate stop for
refueling and changing crews are required.
Finally, you will need to choose
a port of entry. With a land mass only 31¼2 times the size of Washington, D.C.,
Singapore is small enough that it needs just two airports to serve travelers.
The two—Changi and Seletar—are vastly different in terms of size, style and the
ability to accommodate private jets; neither is all things to all travelers.
Business travelers with strong business ties to several countries in Southeast
Asia and those who want to base a plane in this region will likely make ample
use of both airports. Travelers should become familiar with both.
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