Subhas Menon will retire from both the airline industry and his role as director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) by the end of April – he recounts his life’s passion in air travel and maintains hope that governments will better support an industry that is crucial for socio-economic development
You led AAPA as director general since 2020. How would you describe your journey with the association, and what accomplishments are you proudest of?
2020 was a critical year (due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown of international borders) not only for the airline industry but for the whole world. When I took over the director general position at AAPA in 2020, the airlines were not doing well. Many were downsizing and considering retrenchments.
I think the most important thing then was to help the airlines go through the crisis. As an association, AAPA would face an existential threat if our members did not do well. So, I am very glad that we were able to ride that storm and come out on the other side in good shape and with our membership intact. Our airlines started to thrive within a matter of a year, which was a big achievement.
There is no better indication of this than the expansion of the association. We were 13 airlines then, and now 18. This provides a lot of satisfaction to me and the association.
The second achievement is being able to get our airlines together and commit to an aspirational goal of five per cent SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) usage by 2030. This is a big achievement because there is only one other trade association among airlines that is committed to a similar goal, and that is the Airlines for America. AAPA had to convince all our airline CEOs to move together on sustainability. That sent a demand signal to the fossil fuel majors to start producing SAF. It was also a signal to governments that we need policy and regulatory support to achieve our sustainability goal.
And now you are stepping down from your leadership role at AAPA at another critical juncture – amid the Middle East crisis. How do you hope the travel industry as well as your aviation industry colleagues will pull through? Are there lessons that they can take from the last crisis?
I joined AAPA in March 2020, after retiring from Singapore Airlines in December 2019. Now, I am retiring from AAPA, and there’s another major crisis.
This is not a good development for the industry. And in some ways, I think it is a more troubling crisis (than the pandemic). At the AAPA Assembly of Presidents last year, I identified two challenges that could stymie the ongoing development of the airline industry.
One is supply chain; the other is airspace closures due to conflict.
It is ominous that the second has happened so early in the new year.
This is a major conflict. The affected airspace is very critical for the airline industry because it is needed for overflights to the Western world from Asia-Pacific. At the same time, the Gulf region is a hugely developing region.
Well, you know, this industry has seen many crises and I have a lot of faith in the leaders of this industry, especially the CEOs, to be able to pull through.
The governments in Asia-Pacific realised during the pandemic how important the airline industry is. The governments here are very supportive compared to the west; they ensured very few retrenchments in the aviation industry during the pandemic because they wanted to make sure that when the borders reopen, there will be a healthy airline industry to support the economy.
So, from that point of view, with government support and the ability of airline CEOs and leadership in our region, I am hopeful that the industry will pull through in spite of this major crisis.
You have also been an airline guy through the decades, serving Singapore Airlines and SilkAir. What are the topmost memories – good and bad – you have from your career?
Well, most of them have been good. I’ve been very lucky to be part of this industry. It was always my dream to work for Singapore Airlines, and I did many enjoyable and meaningful things in the company.
The one thing that really stands out is my time at SilkAir. It isn’t around anymore, but during its existence, it was probably the best regional airline in Asia.
Leading SilkAir was a very enjoyable experience. Although we went through SARS (the outbreak lasted from 2002 to 2004), SilkAir was on expansion mode most of the time. It was a relatively small airline, so we were on a first-name basis with everyone. Everybody just chipped in to do what was necessary. Furthermore, I am a big fan of Asia, and my job allowed me to promote travel to the region.
Growing up, I have seen how people regarded an aviation career as a prestigious one, whether it is the job of a pilot or an officer at the airport. Does the industry still draw starry-eyed romantics these day, after having gone through several travel crises? How are such sentiments affecting the workforce and hiring exercises?
This is a good question. When the pandemic happened, the airline industry was most affected by the border closures. We thought that the airline industry would no longer be regarded as well by new entrants. But when the borders reopened, and we were trying to recruit people to build up resources, we had people flocking to the airline interviews.
I think it is still an aspirational job for many new graduates and job-seekers. One reason for this is that the airline industry is really focused on technology. When the Boeing 747 was introduced in 1969, everyone thought, ‘Oh my, this is the biggest deal that we have ever had!’. Then in the 1990s, Airbus came up with the A380, which was an even bigger deal.
So, technology has always been at the forefront of this industry. I always tell my colleagues that we are talking about SAF and things like that, but nothing would be better than if this industry could come up with an aircraft that could cut emissions by 50 per cent. This is actually within our means because this industry has got some of the best people in technology. This technology pursuit is attractive for young people – it shows that technology advancement is not only about AI and big tech.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to establish their career in aviation?
The best advice is to keep your eyes and options open. The airline industry has a few unique features. If you go into the Singapore Airlines canteen, you can easily find several people who have been with the company or the airline industry for more than 10 years. People tend to stay in this industry.
New joiners should tap into this, learn from the experts, but also not be tied down by the old ways. New people bring new perspectives, which will take the industry to the next level.
I think the airline industry needs to be modernised, especially in the area of gender equality. It continues to be male dominated, and it is taking a long time to reverse inequality in the industry. I hope that we can change with the new generation. Just imagine if we had more female pilots – we would not be so resource-constrained as we are now.
What challenges lie ahead for your member airlines and your industry colleagues?
The airline industry’s biggest challenge is that governments take it for granted. In general, the airline industry does not get a lot of help from governments. During the pandemic, governments just closed down the borders and expected airlines to know how to take care of themselves.
Not enough governments pay heed to the airline industry and recognise their contribution to socio-economic development.
Now, with this war and the closure of airspace, people are stranded abroad. Look at who is making arrangements to bring all these stranded people home – it is the airlines.
It is good to see Singapore sending military resources to bring back people stranded in the Middle East. More governments should consider doing the same because airlines and their crew are already very stressed by the situation in the Middle East. Governments should take some of that burden off the airlines. We are a very important industry, and I think it is time that governments pay attention to how their decisions can damage world citizens.
Do you think governments expect airlines to be able to deal with disruptions themselves because of the huge profits major airlines post every year?
Actually, airlines don’t make that much profit anymore. In 2025, profit margins are estimated to be about 3.4 per cent. With how things are going in 2026, we will be lucky to even hit three per cent.
People who really make huge profits are the oil and gas people, and the aviation manufacturers. Yet, the airline industry is the one that faces many of the crises.
I think that governments take this hands-off approach because the airline industry is quite united. We are able to devise solutions to problems, and have demonstrated our ability to go through crisis after crisis.
Look at the United Nations. There is the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) within, and it is responsible for managing the administration and governance of international air navigation. Governments may think that with ICAO, we will be able to find our way through the crisis.
However, there are things that ICAO and airlines are not equipped to do. For example, we cannot keep tabs on intelligence during times of conflict. We need governments to be more understanding.
Last question, are you truly retiring now?
Well, this time, I really am. I will be moving to Australia where my family is. In my 35 years with Singapore Airlines, 21 of those years were spent overseas. I spent a lot of time away from the family. Now, I would like to spend more time with them.
Of course, I will never lose my interest in aviation. It’s always been a life’s passion, but I want to start taking interest in other things and do all that I was unable to do because of my work.
There are still a lot of places that I’ve not been to. There is nothing like travelling for pleasure. My wife is retired and I have three older brothers in Australia who are also waiting for me to retire, so that we can travel together.
I am not a spring chicken anymore. I want to do all these things while I am still fit as a fiddle.
