AAIS was pleased to welcome a delegation of senior aviation officials from Kobe City, Japan, on 2 June 2026. The delegation was warmly received by AAIS Senior Advisor Mr Sia Kheng Yok at the Economic Development Board (EDB) office.
The delegation was led by Mr Yasuo Kawahara, Director General, Airport Affairs of the Port and Harbor Bureau of the Kobe City Government, and included three other senior representatives from the Kobe City Government, including Mr Yasunari Hamabata, Director, Airport Island Infrastructure Development, Airport Island Investment, Development Division, Mr Yoshiyuki Kasahara, Executive Director, Airport Strategy and Development Department and Mr Nakazawa Hisashi, Kobe Trade Information Office Singapore.
Located approximately 30 minutes from Osaka, Kobe is the capital of Hyōgo Prefecture and serves as a major port city. In 2025, Kobe Airport officially commenced international operations following the opening of its new Terminal 2, marking a significant milestone in the city’s aerospace development ambitions. With Kobe Airport recently attaining international status and the city looking to develop its aerospace industry, the delegation was keen to learn about the development of Singapore’s aerospace ecosystem and industry development initiatives.
During the meeting, AAIS Senior Advisor shared insights into the development of Singapore’s aerospace sector, highlighting the role of government-industry collaboration, key anchor companies and long-term industry development initiatives aimed at promoting growth of the aerospace cluster. Discussions also covered talent development programmes, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) developments and the complementary roles of Changi Airport and Seletar Airport within Singapore’s aerospace landscape.
Areas for collaboration between Singapore and Kobe were also explored during the meeting. With Kobe’s strong industrial and manufacturing base, notably in robotics and automation, both sides discussed potential collaboration opportunities in smart airport operations and aerospace SME partnerships.
The meeting concluded with both parties expressing mutual interest in maintaining dialogue and exploring potential areas of collaboration between Singapore and Kobe.
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