SINGAPORE'S civil aviation regulator has set up a $100 million kitty to boost standards across the industry.

In a major drive to cement Singapore's position as the region's premier aviation centre, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will zero in on all key sectors, among them manpower training and development, cargo and logistics, as well as the aircraft maintenance and repair industry.

It will work with businesses, training institutes and other partners to achieve higher standards, develop new capabilities and push cost-effectiveness. What specific programmes will be launched and how the money is spent will be decided later.

As part of the initiative, CAAS will also partner the Association of Aerospace Industries (AAIS) and the Singapore Institute of Aerospace Engineers (SIAE) to get more Singaporeans to join the industry. Today, one out of five workers in the aerospace industry is a foreigner. Most of them are Filipinos.

CAAS' new initiative is its first big move since a restructuring in July that split the authority in two. A new corporate entity, Changi Airport Group, is now in charge of running the airport while CAAS is the regulator.

Announcing the launch of the five-year fund at the inaugural aviation community reception yesterday, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said Singapore has had good success in building its aviation industry, but lower-cost competitors are coming up.