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How the world’s top airport, Singapore Changi Airport, responds to crisis 

By Erika Jeong 

(Columnist/foreign correspondent for Naver DesignPress, author of Real Singapore (to be released soon))

COVID-19 has completely changed our way of life. Things that were thought to only exist in science fiction films are now part of our daily reality. Office workers work from home through video conferencing, while students learn through webinars and online classes. It is no longer polite to have a conversation with someone without wearing a mask. We look at photos from the past, wondering when we will be able to travel freely again. 

   The entire world is suffering because of COVID-19. For countries like Singapore, whose economy relies primarily on trade and tourism, the restriction of international movement leads to particularly serious damages. To prevent COVID-19 from spreading uncontrollably, earlier this year, the Singaporean government implemented a circuit breaker—a temporary shutdown of all businesses and educational facilities (not including essential industries)—for four weeks from April 7 through May 4. Financial losses caused by this measure were estimated at SGD 10 billion (approx. KRW 9 billion), but Singapore decided that quelling the coronavirus was its top priority.

< pic 2 >FAST check-in kiosks fitted with proximity sensors

< pic 3 >Autonomous cleaning robot equipped with a misting device

    Singapore’s bold decision-making in response to the pandemic, in addition to the circuit breaker, is largely creditable to the actions taken by Singapore Changi Airport (SCA). SCA, which won first place for seven consecutive years (until 2019) from Skytrax’s World Airport Awards (which assesses facilities, cleanliness, flight safety and accuracy, etc.), is meticulously preparing to receive the many tourists who will be flooding airports once COVID-19 dies down. It introduced contactless check-in kiosks, which are equipped with a special proximity sensor so that they can be manipulated simply by putting one’s finger near but not directly in contact with the kiosk, and unmanned robots that circulate throughout the airport to catch miniscule particles and sanitize carpets with a separate fume attachment device. Multiple far-reaching systemic changes were made to the airport, such as replacing the traditional immigration procedure, where fingerprints were created by putting one’s finger directly on a device, with a contactless one that is based entirely on facial and iris scans. SCA’s efforts to minimize all possibility of contact between people as well as between people and machines are the focus of global media attention—including the World Economic Forum. 

   Other measures include making moving walkway handles automatically-sanitizing, cleaning luggage cart handles (which come into contact with countless tourists each day) with an antibacterial substance that survives for a long time on surfaces, and positioning over 1,200 hand sanitizers throughout the airport so that customers can use them whenever necessary. 

   Changi Airport Group is doing its best to survive an unprecedented dearth of travelers. By aggressively promoting their COVID-19 response measures via social media, it is playing a key role in gaining positive reviews from foreign media outlets on Singapore’s ability to address a crisis of unforeseen scale. SCA’s calm, adroit response to adversity continues to shine, making us realize once again that it is truly the world’s foremost airport.

The content of this article may differ from the editorial direction of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly.