Service-level indicators for air cargo handling at Changi

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Transport

a.           whether the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) tracks service-level indicators for air cargo handling at Changi, including cargo dwell time, time from flight arrival to cargo release, truck waiting time and cold-chain handling time;

b.           whether these indicators have changed over the past two years; and c. what steps are being taken to reduce bottlenecks in cargo collection and handover processes.

Reply by Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow:

1.           The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) does track such service performance and user satisfaction indicators for air cargo handling flow at Changi Airport. Where the indicators fall short of desired standards, CAAS actively engages stakeholders to understand the ground situation, and coordinates efforts to improve air cargo service performance. Some of the recent initiatives to improve performance include a dedicated facility to handle standardised, ready-to-ship containers and pallets to be loaded onto flights, which can reduce processing time for such shipments by 20%. Another recent solution is the Truck Dock Slot Booking (TDSB) system, an airport-level digital solution for pre-booking of cargo truck slots at Changi's Air Freight Terminals which has reduced waiting times for truck drivers by up to 25% for export cargo.

2.           SATS is also investing $100 million to upgrade its air cargo facilities at Changi Airport, which can deliver up to a 20% increase in asset and resource utilisation and increase handling capacity from 2.3 to 3 million tonnes per annum.