Air cargo handler and food solutions provider SATS, SIA Engineering Company and Changi Airport Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to trial autonomous buses at Changi Airport, starting 3Q2024.
The two year collaboration is co-funded under the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)’s Aviation Development Fund (ADF). According to the release dated July 17, this collaboration aims to contribute to Singapore’s journey to become a Smart Nation.
The autonomous bus trial will be monitored by an on-board safety driver, and conducted in two phases — the first in a sterile environment, and the second in a live operational environment.
The release notes that this is part of Changi Airport’s collective effort to automate routine driving tasks so that airside professionals can focus on more complex activities, while presenting opportunities for job redesign and upskilling.
SATS and its global affiliate companies are also investing in several proof of concepts of autonomous guided vehicles. This includes trials of automated airside cargo transportation vehicles and automated forklifts in airport operations and cargo terminals in Europe.
This trial will complement ongoing automation trials at Changi Airport, such as the use of autonomous vehicles for baggage transportation and automated passenger loading bridge, says Yeo Kia Thye, managing director, airport operations control at Changi Airport Group.
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Shares in SIA Engineering closed flat at $2.43, while shares in SATS closed 5 cents lower or 1.506% down at $3.27, on July 17.
