Loke had said the ILS, which is due to come into force on Jan 3 at the airport, would encroach upon Malaysian airspace.
Loke had said if the ILS flight path was allowed, Malaysia would not be able to build tall buildings in Pasir Gudang, Johor, and the Pasir Gudang Port would be subjected to higher risks and multiple restrictions.
Khaw rebutted the assertion that the ILS, unlike a manual system, would become a safety risk when confronted with a crane. He explained that the ILS was like an autopilot in an aircraft.
“The pilot can always have manual intervention if security concerns require it … it does not mean the pilot does not have control. The pilot retains full control throughout the flight.
“But the key point here is, if it were a technical concern, with goodwill, I am confident, a mutually technical solution can be found.
“But the situation seems to be using this technical excuse to trigger a demand to change the airspace arrangement which was brokered by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) a long, long time ago, in 1973, which has worked very well, benefitting all stakeholders in the region,” he said.
Khaw was speaking to reporters in Singapore today and FMT obtained a recording of the brief press conference.
Khaw also said he was puzzled as to why Malaysia had suddenly begun its patrols in the air and in the water two months ago.
“As transport ministries in two countries, we have worked very well together, not just for a few years but many years. We have achieved so much together, not just bilaterally but in the international fora.
“But out of the blue, in October, suddenly they started the rounds in the air and water. What next? Land transport too? I wonder why,” he said.
The Facebook post by Loke was accompanied by a video clip explaining the reasons why Malaysia is against the ILS, including the height buffer for the ILS flight path from Seletar Airport.
According to the video, Point 1 (3km away from Seletar Airport) cannot be higher than 54m, and the maximum height for Point 2 (6km away) is 145m. The airport is merely 2km from Pasir Gudang.
“This means, even a mobile crane would breach the height limit. And there are many tall buildings in Johor,” Loke pointed out.
The ILS is a precision runway approach to landing aid that helps aircraft to land even in poor visibility.