Changi Airport staff recognised for service from the heart at its Annual Airport Celebration virtual award ceremony

At its latest Annual Airport Celebration (AAC) award ceremony, Changi Airport honoured remarkable individuals who embody the Changi service DNA and have gone the extra mile to deliver exceptional service to Changi’s passengers. Awards across five categories, including ‘Service Personality of the Year’, ‘Service Partner of the Year’, ‘Outstanding Service Staff of the Year’, ‘Outstanding Custodial Staff of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Service Team of the Year’ were given out to 36 award recipients and a partner organisation this year. Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minster for Transport, made a special appearance at the pre-recorded online event and presented the top two awards.

Award recipients have been selected based on how they had gone beyond the call of duty to assist passengers, their initiative, resourcefulness and creativity in handling a difficult situation, as well as passengers’ feedback.

Serving with kindness and compassion

SATS Duty Manager Syed Umar Bahki Bin S A Sunny was approached by a passenger who needed help with changing her flight arrangements. Through their interaction, he learnt that her daughter had been involved in a fatal accident overseas. He assisted with the flight change and contacted his counterparts to ensure that the passenger’s arrival process was smooth and expedited. Anticipating that the passenger might need to bring her daughter’s belongings back, Syed helped to increase her baggage allowance. When the passenger returned to Singapore, he personally received the passenger at the arrival gate and even made prior arrangements for her luggage to be picked up. Syed’s compassion and thoughtful actions left a deep impression on the bereaved passenger, and for that he was awarded the ‘Service Personality of the Year’.

Delivering a first-class immigration experience

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) was named ‘Service Partner of the Year’ at this year’s award. As the national guardian of border security including at Changi Airport, ICA has continued to deliver an unparalleled immigration experience anchored on service excellence and operational efficiency. Tapping on automation and enhanced security systems, ICA has made the immigration clearance process more seamless with the new-generation Automated Immigration Gates at Terminal 4. ICA is also working towards a contactless border clearance by 2022 with a New Clearance Concept that integrates iris and facial recognition.

As part of an ongoing effort to enhance service levels, ICA launched several initiatives including greeting passengers in their native language, offering birthday greetings to passengers travelling during their birthday week, and introducing translated disembarkation/embarkation cards to help its officers overcome potential language barriers. Aligning itself with Changi Airport’s vision of becoming an inclusive air hub, ICA also coordinated an outreach programme and equipped its officers with the know-how and confidence to better serve passengers with autism.

Rising above adversity

To recognise the resilience of the airport community, Changi Experience Studio (CES) coincided the launch of its newest exhibit, the ‘Chair of Resilience’ with the AAC award ceremony today, making its first-ever Asian appearance. Using a series of algorithms, the ‘Chair of Resilience’ falls apart in an instant is if it had been struck by extreme pressure. But in a surprise twist, the broken chair starts searching for its fragmented parts slowly through artificial intelligence, eventually re-assembling itself and standing up whole again on its own. Beyond its intriguing performance, this is symbolic of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Changi Airport, and the unyielding spirit of strength and resilience uniting the Changi Airport community in supporting one another to stay undefeated.

In expressing his appreciation to the airport community, Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of CAG said, “I am thankful that as the world stayed home in safety, many of you continued on the frontline, serving our passengers, lifting them from the stresses of their journeys. Thanks to you, we were able to keep our passengers and community safe as we kept the airport running. We have hence named this exhibit ‘Chair of Resilience’, in honour and tribute to the spirit of resilience of our One Changi Community.”

From tomorrow onwards, visitors to CES will be able to enjoy the performance of this new exhibit, among many other games and interactive exhibits in the digital attraction.