SATS Airport Services Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of SATS Ltd, SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC), and Changi Airport Group (CAG) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to trial autonomous buses for transporting airport staff around Changi Airport’s airside. This initiative is co-funded under the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)’s Aviation Development Fund (ADF).
The two-year collaboration aims to contribute to Singapore’s Smart Nation vision by leveraging technology to enhance various sectors, including transport. The proof of concept (POC), starting in the third quarter of 2024, will test the self-driving capabilities of the autonomous bus with an on-board safety driver. The POC will be conducted in two phases: first in a sterile environment and then in a live operational setting.
This initiative is part of Changi Airport’s efforts to automate routine tasks, allowing airside professionals to focus on more complex activities while offering opportunities for job redesign and upskilling. The project partners hope that this POC will encourage further development and deployment of autonomous solutions to improve manpower productivity at the airport.