Air Navigation (129 — Foreign Operator’s Permit) Regulations 2026

No. S 35

Air Navigation Act 1966

Air Navigation
(129 — Foreign Operator’s Permit)
Regulations 2026

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 9 of the Air Navigation Act 1966, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, with the approval of the Acting Minister for Transport, makes the following Regulations:

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations are the Air Navigation (129 — Foreign Operator’s Permit) Regulations 2026 and come into operation on 1 February 2026.

Definitions

2.  Any term in these Regulations that is defined in the First Schedule to the Air Navigation (91 — General Operating Rules) Regulations 2018 (G.N. No. S 441/2018) has the meaning given to that term in that Schedule unless the term is otherwise defined in the First Schedule to these Regulations.

Purpose of Regulations

3.  These Regulations prescribe —

(a) the need for a foreign operator to hold an aviation safety instrument called a foreign operator’s permit in order to conduct in Singapore a commercial air transport operation or an aerial work operation;

(b) the relevant requirements for a foreign operator to meet in order to be eligible for and to continue holding a foreign operator’s permit; and

(c) the privileges of a holder of a foreign operator’s permit and the limits on those privileges.

Interface with Air Navigation (91 — General Operating Rules) Regulations 2018

4.  These Regulations are related to, but do not affect, the operating requirements in the Air Navigation (91 — General Operating Rules) Regulations 2018 for aircraft engaged in commercial air transport operations or aerial work operations to the extent that those Regulations apply to any of the following:

(a) any flight involving a foreign registered aircraft in Singapore that is operated by a person other than a Singapore operator;

(b) a foreign operator who is operating a foreign registered aircraft in Singapore;

(c) the pilot‑in‑command of a foreign registered aircraft in Singapore that is operated by a person other than a Singapore operator.

PART 2

FOREIGN OPERATOR’S PERMIT

Conducting commercial air transport operation or aerial work operation in Singapore

5.—(1)  For the purposes of section 14(2)(a) of the Act, for a foreign operator to conduct in Singapore —

(a) any commercial air transport operation of a certain kind; or

(b) any aerial work operation of a certain kind,

the foreign operator must be an entity that holds a current foreign operator’s permit that authorises the conduct in Singapore of that kind of commercial air transport operation or kind of aerial work operation, as the case may be.

(2)  A commercial air transport operation or an aerial work operation is conducted in Singapore if it is conducted using an aircraft —

(a) to land in Singapore for —

(i) a flight into Singapore; or

(ii) a flight within Singapore airspace; or

(b) to take off from Singapore for —

(i) a flight out of Singapore; or

(ii) a flight within Singapore airspace,

for the purpose of a commercial air transport operation or an aerial work operation, as the case may be.

(3)  An aerial work operation is also conducted in Singapore if it is conducted using an aircraft for the purpose of an aerial work operation where —

(a) the flight is partly within Singapore airspace, without landing the aircraft in Singapore and without the aircraft taking off from Singapore; and

(b) the aerial work zone of the aerial work operation is in Singapore.

(4)  To avoid doubt, this regulation extends to any chartered aircraft used in the military, customs or police services of a country or territory other than Singapore.

Exceptions to regulation 5: authorisations

6.  Despite regulation 5, a foreign operator is authorised to conduct in Singapore a commercial air transport operation or an aerial work operation using any aircraft without holding a current foreign operator’s permit if —

(a) the foreign operator has a current diplomatic clearance from the Government for the aircraft to land in or take off from Singapore;

(b) the pilot‑in‑command of the aircraft has nominated a Singapore aerodrome to be an alternate aerodrome;

(c) an emergency involving a danger to life or property has arisen in flight and all the following are satisfied:

(i) there is no other reasonable means of alleviating, avoiding or assisting with the emergency;

(ii) it is not reasonably practicable for the foreign operator to obtain a foreign operator’s permit before the aircraft lands in Singapore;

(iii) the same aircraft leaves Singapore without delay after landing; or

(d) the aircraft is on a flight for the purpose of undergoing maintenance in Singapore and any other purpose which is ancillary or incidental to that maintenance of the aircraft (such as testing or checking the functionality of certain equipment of the aircraft) but no other purpose.

PART 3

APPLICATION AND GRANT

Application for foreign operator’s permit

7.—(1)  An application for the grant of a foreign operator’s permit to conduct in Singapore any kind of commercial air transport operation or any kind of aerial work operation using any aircraft must —

(a) be made by or on behalf of the foreign operator who is to have or is likely to have control over the exercise of the privileges under the foreign operator’s permit applied for;

(b) be made —

(i) at least 28 days before the start of that kind of commercial air transport operation or kind of aerial work operation (as the case may be) in Singapore; or

(ii) in the case of a renewal application, at least 28 days before the date of expiry of the foreign operator’s permit concerned;

(c) be accompanied by a non‑refundable application fee, if specified in the Second Schedule;

(d) state every aircraft to be covered by the foreign operator’s permit applied for;

(e) state the purpose for which the foreign operator’s permit is applied for, being a commercial air transport operation of a certain kind or an aerial work operation of a certain kind;

(f) contain —

(i) an address in Singapore at which notices and other documents under the Act for the foreign operator may be served; or

(ii) the full name and contact address of one or more persons in Singapore authorised by the foreign operator to accept on the foreign operator’s behalf service of notices and other documents under the Act;

(g) state whom the foreign operator nominates as a representative of the foreign operator in respect of that kind of commercial air transport operation or kind of aerial work operation (as the case may be), and the following particulars of the representative:

(i) the representative’s full name and every alias, if any;

(ii) the representative’s title, office or designation in relation to the foreign operator;

(iii) the representative’s nationality;

(iv) the representative’s contact address; and

(h) contain all particulars and information that the Authority requires to decide the application, and documents and other evidence of those particulars and information.

(2)  The Authority may refuse to consider an application for a foreign operator’s permit that is incomplete or not made in accordance with this regulation.

Validity of foreign operator’s permit

8.—(1)  A foreign operator’s permit to conduct in Singapore a commercial air transport operation of a certain kind or an aerial work operation of a certain kind remains in effect for a period stated in the foreign operator’s permit, being a period not exceeding 5 years starting the date of its grant or a later date specified in the foreign operator’s permit —

(a) except when it is suspended under section 17 of the Act; or

(b) unless it is earlier revoked under section 18 of the Act.

(2)  In addition to paragraph (1), a foreign operator’s permit to conduct in Singapore a commercial air transport operation of a certain kind or an aerial work operation of a certain kind has no effect when the foreign AOC or foreign aerial work certificate granted to the holder of the foreign operator’s permit and relating to that kind of commercial air transport operation or kind of aerial work operation (as the case may be) ceases to be current.

Grant of foreign operator’s permit

9.—(1)  If the Authority decides to grant a foreign operator’s permit to a foreign operator, the Authority must also decide the following and, where decided, state that in the foreign operator’s permit:

(a) the aircraft to be covered by the foreign operator’s permit;

(b) the kind of commercial air transport operation or kind of aerial work operation to be authorised under the foreign operator’s permit;

(c) any conditions imposed on the holder of the foreign operator’s permit in relation to conducting of that kind of commercial air transport operation or kind of aerial work operation in Singapore where the conditions are necessary for the purposes of the Act.

(2)  The Authority may grant a foreign operator’s permit only upon payment of the relevant fee specified in the Second Schedule.

Variation to foreign operator’s permit

10.—(1)  An application to vary a current foreign operator’s permit may be made by or on behalf of the holder of the foreign operator’s permit, and no other.

(2)  A current foreign operator’s permit may be varied only as follows:

(a) by adding any aircraft for coverage by the foreign operator’s permit;

(b) by replacing any aircraft for coverage by the foreign operator’s permit;

(c) for a foreign operator’s permit authorising a kind of commercial air transport operation — by adding another kind of commercial air transport operation;

(d) for a foreign operator’s permit authorising a kind of commercial air transport operation — by replacing that kind of commercial air transport operation with another kind of commercial air transport operation;

(e) for a foreign operator’s permit authorising a kind of aerial work operation — by adding another kind of aerial work operation;

(f) for a foreign operator’s permit authorising a kind of aerial work operation — by replacing that kind of aerial work operation with another kind of aerial work operation.

(3)  An application under this regulation to vary a current foreign operator’s permit in the manner described in paragraph (2) must —

(a) be made at least 14 days before the variation takes effect;

(b) be accompanied by a non‑refundable application fee, if specified in the Second Schedule; and

(c) contain all particulars and information that the Authority requires to decide the application, and documents and other evidence of those particulars and information.

(4)  Despite paragraph (3)(a), the Authority may, in any case where the Authority is reasonably satisfied that there are good reasons why an earlier application could not have been made, accept an application later than is as mentioned in that provision.

(5)  Regulations 7(2) and 9 apply in relation to an application under this regulation with any modifications that are necessary.

PART 4

RELEVANT REQUIREMENTS

Purpose of this Part

11.  This Part prescribes for the purposes of section 15(2)(b) of the Act the relevant requirements relating to a foreign operator’s permit.

Foreign AOC or foreign aerial work certificate required

12.  An applicant for the grant of a foreign operator’s permit to conduct in Singapore a commercial air transport operation of a certain kind or an aerial work operation of a certain kind must be the holder of —

(a) in the case of an aerial work operation — a current foreign AOC or current foreign aerial work certificate that authorises the applicant to conduct that kind of aerial work operation; or

(b) in any other case — a current foreign AOC that authorises the applicant to conduct that kind of commercial air transport operation.

Foreign AOC or foreign aerial work certificate covering aircraft required

13.  An applicant for the grant of a foreign operator’s permit to conduct in Singapore a commercial air transport operation of a certain kind or an aerial work operation of a certain kind using an aircraft must be the holder of a current foreign AOC or current foreign aerial work certificate that authorises the applicant to conduct that kind of commercial air transport operation or kind of aerial work operation (as the case may be) using —

(a) if the foreign AOC or foreign aerial work certificate limits the conduct of that kind of commercial air transport operation or kind of aerial work operation (as the case may be) to a particular aircraft — that aircraft; or

(b) in any other case — aircraft types that the aircraft falls within.

 

Made on 21 January 2026.

EDMUND CHENG WAI WING

Chairperson,
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

[AG/LEGIS/SL/6/2025/1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 9(9) of the Air Navigation Act 1966).