The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have signed a joint agreement to join the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (Aspire). To mark the occasion they have conducted “the world’s first multi-sector green flight” on an SIA’s flight SQ11 from Los Angeles to Singapore via Tokyo, with the Boeing 747-400 arriving in Singapore in the early hours of Tuesday morning. This was the fifth flight undertaken by Aspire program members.

Aspire was initiated in June 2008 by the U.S. FAA, Air New Zealand and Airservices Australia; the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau joined last October. According to CAAS, “Aspire aims to accelerate the development of air traffic management procedures, with innovation, technology and harmonization on key Asia and Pacific routes that will reduce aviation emissions worldwide.”