Changi Airport's iconic flight information display flip board to become part of Singapore's National Collection

SINGAPORE, 1 March 2020 – Changi Airport Group (CAG) and the National Heritage Board (NHB) announced today that one of the two remaining iconic analogue flight information display boards at Changi Airport Terminal 2, which was retired earlier in the month, will be donated to NHB to form part of Singapore’s National Collection. Since the announcement of the flip boards’ decommissioning earlier in January, CAG and NHB have been working closely together to explore ways to preserve at least one of the airport’s beloved flip boards.

Originally located between check-in rows 9 and 10 of the airport’s Departure Hall, the flip board had been undergoing de-installation in various stages in February. The different components of the board – comprising over 2,000 pieces of capsules, panels and casings – were documented by NHB and transported to its storage facility for cleaning. The analogue flip boards were decommissioned due to challenges in maintenance, and increasing difficulties faced in sourcing for parts.

After thorough cleaning of the components is complete, which is estimated to take six months, the components will be transferred to NHB’s Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) to be accessioned[1] as part of the National Collection[2]. The HCC is the repository and conservation facility for the management and conservation of Singapore’s National Collection. At HCC, conservators will assess the condition of the components of the flip board, and recommend the necessary plans for conservation and storage. After which, CAG and NHB will explore future possibilities for display and more details will be shared at a later date.

“We are heartened that the flip boards have provided many wonderful memories to Changi Airport’s passengers and visitors over the decades, as they continue to capture the romance of travel in today’s highly digital age. The flip boards are certainly part of Changi Airport’s history. Hence, we will also re-use the last remaining flip board, to be retired in about two years’ time, in a different part of the airport as a display piece to be enjoyed by all who visit,” said Mr Ang Siew Min, Senior Vice President, Development Operations, CAG.

According to Mr Alvin Tan, Deputy Chief Executive (Policy & Community), NHB: “We accessioned the flight information display flip board into the National Collection because we believe that it is an important piece of airport infrastructure and a formative feature of the air travel experience. Many Singaporeans will remember standing underneath the boards, listening to the clickety-clack sounds of the split flaps and waiting for their flight information to be displayed.”

[1] Accessioning refers to the recording of a newly added artefact to the National Collection.

[2] The National Collection refers to Singapore’s collection of artworks and artefacts, of which there are more than 200,000 to date.