The building will also house a public aviation gallery that will allow visitors to discover the nation’s aviation history and plans, added CAAS.
The academy will also refresh its curriculum progressively from April, via a revamp of its selection of 110 training programmes.
The curriculum refresh will also take into account findings from CAAS’ upcoming sectorwide manpower study, which starts in March and will last nine to 12 months.
According to CAAS, the study will determine the manpower needs and capabilities that Singapore’s air hub needs in the medium and longer term, as well as steps to be taken.
The academy currently offers a mix of short aviation training courses, professional diplomas, and graduate programmes, which are generally open to the public with no prior aviation experience.
Some courses, however, require participants to have certain prerequisites, such as air traffic control courses. Others are internal training programmes for CAAS staff, while airport firefighting courses are for Changi Airport Group.
CAAS said the $120 million covers only the cost of upgrading the academy’s building, and not the curriculum refresh.
The academy intends to update its courses on air traffic safety, to support projected higher traffic volumes over the next 10 to 15 years.
CAAS currently has 500 air traffic controllers, and targets to raise the number to 650 over the next 10 years.
Only 140 of these are aerodrome controllers who handle the touchdown, take-off and movements on the ground in Singapore, said CAAS.
It trains 40 such controllers every year, with the training duration lasting 1½ years. Only 40 per cent to 50 per cent of these 40 students pass the course due to its rigour and stringency, added CAAS.