'Drive-through' air cargo centre near Changi Airport cuts processing time

Facility will also test-bed cargo processes and systems for upcoming T5, industrial zone

- Esther Loi

A new air cargo handling centre in Singapore, said to be the first of its kind in the world, features a drive-through concept capable of reducing processing time for air cargo shipments by 20 per cent. It officially opened on Aug 5.

The 3,000 sq m Bulk Unitisation Programme (BUP) Handling Centre is able to process outgoing air cargo shipments in two hours, instead of 2½ hours.

BUP is a packing strategy that consolidates loose cargoes into standardised, ready-to-ship individual units such as pallets or containers to speed up handling processes. It is typically used for consumer and electronic goods such as clothes and household products.

Before the launch of the centre, freight forwarders needed to transport loose cargoes to a warehouse for packing into pallets or containers for loading onto an aircraft, in addition to some ready-to-ship individual units.

Built by ground-handling services provider Sats, the facility in Changi Airfreight Centre, next to Changi Airport Terminal 1, will also test-bed enhanced air cargo processes and systems for the upcoming Terminal 5 (T5) and the Changi East Industrial Zone. The industrial zone is an airport logistics park that will optimise the flow of air cargoes and reduce the costs and transit time for processing goods to and from T5.