SATS has unveiled its $21 million eCommerce AirHub, enhancing Changi Airport’s e-commerce mail sorting capability in a ceremony officiated by minister for Trade and industry, S Iswaran.
The 6,000 square metre facility, co-funded by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) features innovations to improve productivity and enable airport workers to acquire new skills.
SATS says it has multiplied mailbag processing capacity by more than three times to more than 1,800 per hour from 500, and streamline mail sorting deliver quicker international e-commerce mail turnaround times, and processing times is reduced by 50 per cent to three hours.
SATS president and chief executive officer, Alex Hungate says: “The SATS eCommerce AirHub enhances the competitiveness of the whole airfreight industry in Singapore by offering greater speed and transparency, as well as higher capacity to handle future growth.”
CAAS director general, Kevin Shum says: “We are delighted that this initiative has enabled SATS staff to benefit from an enlarged job scope, higher pay, and a more comfortable and conducive workplace.”
Interface integration with SingPost’s airmail operations and the facility’s locations within the free trade zone on airside, mail operations are streamlined to eliminate the need for mailbags to be transported to and from the hub.
Traceability has also improved as customers such as SingPost can track and trace their mail via the data interface.
SingPost Postal Services chief executive officer, Woo Keng Leong says: “The improved efficiency and tracking from our collaboration with SATS will enhance SingPost’s international mail operations amid Singapore’s growing importance as an eCommerce logistics hub.”
SATS has designed the facility to be expanded, with Hungate explaining: “With ever- increasing eCommerce mail volumes, SATS has deliberately designed this eCommerce AirHub to be modular so that we can increase throughput even further with only incremental investment.”
