Ng Chee Khern to succeed Edmund Cheng as CAAS chairman from Aug 1
Ng is currently director and chief executive officer of Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute
[SINGAPORE] The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will see a leadership transition next month, with current deputy chairman Ng Chee Khern appointed as its new chairman effective Aug 1.
He will succeed Edmund Cheng, who is stepping down after serving on the statutory board for more than nine years.
Cheng took over from Lee Hsien Yang as CAAS chairman in 2018, and is also the deputy chairman and deputy managing director of Wing Tai Holdings, a Singapore-based property developer and lifestyle company.
The appointment was made by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow and was jointly announced by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and CAAS on Wednesday (Jul 15).
Ng is currently the director and chief executive officer of the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute.
He held key leadership roles across the Singapore Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Manpower and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group.
Ng assumed his current role as CAAS deputy chairman on Jan 1, 2026.
MOT and CAAS noted that Ng’s extensive leadership experience will “greatly benefit CAAS in its work to strengthen Singapore’s position as a global aviation hub”.
Rebuilt aviation hub after Covid-19
Cheng’s departure marks the end of a pivotal tenure for Singapore’s aviation sector. First appointed to the board as deputy chairman in December 2016, he took over as chairman in July 2018.
During his term, Cheng steered the sector through the Covid-19 pandemic and successfully oversaw the rebuilding of the Changi air hub.
Under his stewardship, Changi Airport rebounded to handle a record high of nearly 70 million passenger movements and over two million tonnes of air cargo in 2025.
Key milestones under Cheng’s chairmanship include the development of Changi Airport Terminal 5, Changi East Industrial Zone and Changi East Urban District.
He also over saw a S$1 billion commitment, announced in 2025, to drive partnerships across connectivity, technology, infrastructure and manpower.
Cheng was also CAAS chair when it launched the Air Transport Industry Transformation Map in 2023 and the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint in 2024.
More recently, he established specialised entities such as the International Centre for Aviation Innovation, Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre and Singapore Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company.
Under Cheng’s leadership, CAAS also strengthened its international and tripartite standing. In 2025, Singapore was re-elected to the International Civil Aviation Organization Council with a record number of votes.
