SINGAPORE - Airlines from Singapore and Saudi Arabia will be allowed to mount more flights between the two countries under an upgraded air services agreement that took effect on Feb 19.

Carriers from the two countries will also be able to operate more fifth-freedom flights without any restrictions on routing, capacity or aircraft type, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a statement on Feb 21.

Fifth-freedom traffic rights allow an airline to fly from its home country to another country and offload passengers and freight, before picking up passengers and cargo and proceeding to a third country.

This means a Saudi Arabia-based airline, for instance, can fly to a destination in South-east Asia with a stop in Singapore using these rights.

In response to queries, CAAS said the upgraded agreement allows airlines from both countries to exercise fifth-freedom traffic rights to fly between Singapore and Saudi Arabia via points anywhere in the world, or beyond either country to anywhere in the world.

Previously, the fifth-freedom traffic rights under the agreement could be exercised only via specific points, or beyond to specific points.

The authority could not provide more details about how many more flights will be allowed with the upgrade.

CAAS said the air services agreement between Singapore and Saudi Arabia was first signed in 1990. This is the fifth time it has been upgraded.

On Feb 19, the authority also signed a non-binding agreement with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia for the two government agencies to conduct regular exchanges and cooperate in areas such as infrastructure, safety, environmental protection and the adoption of technology.

CAAS said it and GACA will conduct expert visits to share experience and relevant scientific and technical information, and join hands to support training.

GACA president Abdulaziz Al-Duailej said this agreement reinforces Singapore’s position as a strategic aviation partner of Saudi Arabia.

CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan said the two agreements are significant in establishing collaboration between two major air hubs, and are a testament to the growing ties between Singapore and Saudi Arabia.

“There is much that we can learn from each other. Through this partnership, we hope to increase exchanges and discuss ways by which we can leverage our respective growth strategies to bring our two regions closer together,” Mr Han added.

CAAS noted that both countries plan to grow their aviation sectors to meet the rising demand for air travel.

Singapore is developing Changi Airport Terminal 5, while Saudi Arabia is growing its tourism and aviation sector through a US$100 billion (S$134 billion) Saudi Aviation Strategy that includes the construction of the King Salman International Airport.

The proposed airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh is projected to have a capacity of 120 million passengers per year, rising to 185 million by 2050.

Mr Linus Benjamin Bauer, founder and managing director of aviation consultancy BAA & Partners, said the upgraded air services agreement has the potential to boost tourism and business travel between Singapore and Saudi Arabia, even though direct market demand between the countries may not rival that of other major routes.

In 2023, about 1.88 million passengers travelled between Singapore and the whole of the Middle East.

Mr Bauer said the improvement in air connectivity aligns with Saudi Arabia’s plans to diversify its economy into areas such as tourism and entertainment, and Singapore’s strategic geographical location and its status as a major global aviation hub make it an ideal partner.

This is something Saudi Arabia-based airlines such as Saudia and Riyadh Air could capitalise on, he added. Riyadh Air is a new Saudi Arabian carrier with plans to launch services in 2025.

For Saudi Arabia, the improved air links could bring in more tourists from South-east Asia, while for Singapore, the upgraded agreement further solidifies its role in international aviation and trade, Mr Bauer said.

The additional fifth-freedom flights and elimination of restrictions on them give carriers flexibility that could make some longer routes more viable, he added.

“In this context, airlines from both countries, including ambitious new entrants like Riyadh Air, might find these additional services appealing.”

Mr Bauer said: “Riyadh Air could utilise these rights to launch new routes, increase flight frequencies or deploy larger aircraft to more destinations beyond Singapore, tapping wider South-east Asian and Pacific markets, including Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.”