(SINGAPORE) Changi Airport has set up a new advisory group aimed at using the talents of some of its most experienced senior officials as consultants and advisers after they have retired.

Liew Mun Leong, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), yesterday appointed the immediate past director-general of civil aviation Wong Woon Liong, former deputy director-general for airport management Ho Beng Huat, and former deputy director-general (operations) Chiang Hai Eng as directors of the new Changi Airport Advisory Group (CAAG).

The group will be chaired by former CAAS chairman Sim Kee Boon.

One of the key roles of the advisory group's directors will be to help the global expansion of Changi Airport International (CAI).

In his speech yesterday announcing the appointments, Mr Liew said one of the biggest challenges that the world-beating Changi Airport faced was retaining experienced talent.

'The talent war in aviation and airport management is very severe globally,' he said. 'There are about 180 Icao (International Civil Aviation Organisation) airports around the world, of which about 25 would be considered successful world-class airports. But Changi has consistently been ranked the best airport in the world. This is because we have a core group of very experienced specialists who have been brought up in our unique culture in Changi.'

Mr Liew noted that many of Changi's competitors were ready to pay top dollar to lure talent from here.

'The first three advisers to join this group - Wong Woon Liong, Ho Beng Huat and Chiang Hai Eng - have collectively more than a century of dedicated experience in airport organisation, operations management and routes development,' Mr Liew said. 'In the aviation sector, they represent the most respected names, and as Singaporeans, they want to make a mark for Singapore in this field.

'They will have free-ranging roles to lead high-level strategic or operational teams, to mentor the younger managers and to advise the management teams in both the CAAS and CAI.'

Mr Wong has 30 years of aviation industry experience, including 15 years at the helm of CAAS. Under his watch, traffic at Changi expanded from 18.1 million passengers and 719,000 tonnes of cargo in 1992, to more than 35 million passengers and 1.91 million tonnes of cargo by 2006.

A fluent Mandarin speaker and China specialist, Mr Wong will help develop strategic relationships for many of CAI's projects in that huge market.

Mr Ho is a 30-year aviation veteran and was a key member of Mr Wong's team who spearheaded the introduction of the airport processes which provides Changi with its characteristic efficiency and service quality. He will help steer development proposals for new airports.

Mr Chiang, also a 30-year aviation veteran and a specialist in air route development, will help CAI formulate strategies to market its airports to airlines and increase the connectivity of these airports.

Led by its chief executive Chow Kok Fong, the two-year-old CAI has become an increasingly aggressive player in global airport development.

In addition to projects in Moscow, Nagpur (India) and Abu Dhabi, the CAAS subsidiary bought a 29 per cent stake in Nanjing Lukou International Airport. It is seeking similar participation in India and other airports in China.

Mr Liew said such equity participation would become an increasing feature of CAI's projects worldwide. These investments would realise returns in five years, he said.