This month, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced it will be setting up an International Aviation Lab designed to “develop innovative solutions for the transformation of airport operations around the world.”
The “first-of-its kind” collaboration was agreed with the signing of a MoU between CAAS, the International Centre for Aviation Innovation (ICAI), Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD), Airbus, Boeing, Changi Airport Group (CAG), SATS Ltd. (SATS), International Airlines Group (IAG), and Singapore Airlines (SIA).
These leading industry players will engage in joint research and innovation programmes, collaborate on roadmaps, participate in knowledge exchange, and more.
Speaking on the lab, Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General said:
“[It] is a bold initiative aimed at achieving quantum leaps in productivity through end-to-end transformation of airport processes […] The solutions we develop are for global deployment; in the coming months, we will work on growing the partnership to onboard more airlines and other airports.”
Possible projects include smart gates, autonomous aircraft pushback and towing, automated loading and unloading of baggage for narrowbody aircraft, and automated and smart technical ramp handling.
Gathering a handful of the most influential players from across the ecosystem, the lab has the potential to catalyse progress on some of the industry’s most critical challenges. With its specific focus on technology and innovation and ambition for successful projects to be applied worldwide, this lab could help to shape the airports of the future.
For more like this also see:
- Vivian Cheung: Creating a springboard for innovation at Hong Kong International Airport
- Tara Mulrooney, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Innovation at Edmonton International Airport – “The airport’s complex digital backbone.”
- Behind the AI buzzword and attracting talent in a digital world with “The Airport Guy”
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