UFIS Airport Solutions (UFIS-AS) has been working in successful partnership with Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) and the Civil Aviation Association of Singapore (CAAS) at Singapore Changi Airport long before the opening of the new terminal. UFIS-AS is proud to have contributed to the successful opening of Terminal 3 as well with its Universal Flight Information System (UFIS®) installation that meets the airport requirements fully and ensures the smooth operation of the new terminal as well.
Flight SQ1 from San Francisco via Hong Kong arrived at Singapore Changi Airport’s new terminal, Terminal 3, at 11:56 on 9 January 2008 marking the beginning of the latest chapter in Changi Airport’s history. The new 380,000sqm, seven-story terminal features unique design features, including skylights on the 300m by 200m roof which are equipped with ‘intelligent’ reflectors that let in light but block out heat depending on the amount of sunlight and cloud cover. Terminal 3 will also offer visitors 100 shops and more than 30 food and beverage outlets, as well as a 350-room airport hotel with a swimming pool, restaurants, conference rooms and a spa, among other facilities.
The Universal Flight Information System (UFIS®) supports SATS in managing the complex tasks of its ground handling operations and in-flight catering services. The UFIS package installed in Singapore includes an Airport Operational Database (AODB), Basic Data Processing Systems, a Flight Information Processing System (FIPS), a Resource Management System (RMS), as well as Hub, Status and ULD Management Systems. A total of eleven interfaces to external systems, related to personnel and flight data (for example, SAP and KRISCOM), were implemented. As integration medium for the interfaces UFIS-AS uses IBM’s Websphere MQ.
The successful cooperation has continued while preparing for the opening of Terminal 3 as well. UFIS-AS’s Location Management System has been customized to allow CAAS to perform resource allocation based on destination thus optimizing the use of airport resources. Moreover the system takes into account connection times and transfer passenger load to ensure optimal allocation and convenient transfers for passengers.
With the opening of the new terminal, Singapore Airlines’ long-haul flights will now operate out of this facility while its regional flights will operate out of Terminal 2. Terminal 3 has 28 aerobridge gates, with 8 capable of handling the Airbus A380. In contrast to the other two terminals at Changi Airport that have separate waiting lounges for each gate, Terminal 3 has common waiting areas for some gates with increased space and seats to accommodate the greater passenger loads. UFIS-AS’s Location Management System is able to handle both standard and common waiting lounges helping make optimal use of airport resources.
SATS uses the UFIS-AS’s Resource Management System to facilitate cross terminal deployment of manpower for both apron and passenger service departments to handle operations in Terminal 2 and the new Terminal 3. The Resource Management System produces rosters for personnel and equipment resources based on the data in the flight schedule, determining the requirements for equipment, terminal resources and staff with appropriate qualifications. It provides functions to support demand and coverage calculations, shift and duty rosters, and daily rosters with deployment of resources. The usage of both Location Management and Resource Management Systems is a strong combination in meeting the airport requirements fully and ensuring the smooth operation of the new terminal.
“It is an honor for us to be part of the new terminal at Singapore Changi Airport as well by providing our IT solutions”, said Holger Mattig, Managing Director of UFIS Airport Solutions Pte Ltd. “Singapore Changi Airport is one of our most important references in the Asia-Pacific region and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership.”
The new terminal increases the airport’s annual passenger capacity by 22 million, bringing the total annual capacity up to approximately 70 million passengers, making Singapore one of the largest hub airports in Asia Pacific.
“I am pleased that the long-term cooperation with SATS and CAAS resulted in providing the best services to Singapore Changi Airport,” said Anders Sagadin, UFIS-AS’s president and CEO. “UFIS-AS is supporting Singapore Changi Airport in their growth and efforts to be a leading airport by providing flexible solutions, complying with the new procedures and requirements.”