Source: SATS. Photo: RENDY ARYANTO/VVS.sg
Ground handler SATS will invest more than S$100m to develop its cargo infrastructure at Changi Airport as part of a wider project to upgrade its ground operations at the airport.
The initiatives will aim to enhance operational reliability and safety, optimise turnaround times, and support growing cargo volumes at the airport through to the mid-2030s when the new Terminal Five and Changi East Industrial Zone (CEIZ) are projected to commence operations.
The cargo upgrades will be carried out over the next two years - starting mid-2025 - and will “bolster cargo operations across its airfreight terminals to address growing volumes”.
Enhancements include the reconfiguration of SATS largest cargo facility (AFT6) as a dedicated Singapore Airlines (SQ) cargo hub, consolidating SQ’s import, export, and transhipment operations in a single 64,000 sq m facility.
”These enhancements will optimise cargo flows by creating a streamlined integrated handling environment, eliminating inter-terminal movements and delays, and enabling real-time matching of export cargo with incoming transhipment units for potentially earlier flight uplifts when space is available,” SATS told Air Cargo News.
It will also boost peak day handling capacity by over 50% at AFT6, from 1,750 to 3,150 tonnes
Enhancements across all airfreight facilities, include: Upgrading material handling systems for more efficient moving, stacking, and retrieving of cargo pallets and implementing the Information Controlled Build-Up system, a digitalised solution for advanced planning, monitoring, and real-time control of cargo flows.
This technology, along with process improvements, is expected to deliver up to a 20% increase in asset and resource utilisation.
Elsewhere, SATS will spend a further S$150m on developing its ground support equipment (GSE) fleet.
The GSE fleet modernisation project commenced on 1 April and involves the renewal and refurbishment of over 500 commercial vehicles and equipment, which is about 40% of the current GSE motorised fleet, and the addition of over 100 new units to support growing business volumes.
It will also invest in recruitment and technology, such as autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence to boost productivity.
Henry Low, chief executive, SATS Singapore Hub, said: “The multi-million dollar investments by SATS Singapore Hub mark an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to future-proof Singapore’s aviation ground handling and cargo operations.
”While the opening of Changi Airport Terminal Five is about 10 years away, SATS is already undertaking extensive preparations to handle future operational demands by modernising our equipment and infrastructure alongside efforts to raise and sustain a future-ready and resilient workforce.”
