That practical mindset also helps explain why Changi has never really been allowed to sit still. Airports are miniature cities driven by tight schedules and complex logistics, and are highly vulnerable to volatility. It’s one reason Changi recently set up Terminal X, an innovation lab tasked with tackling weather volatility, manpower issues, capacity pressure and ever-evolving customer expectations.
“For us the innovation hub is a must,” says Kris Mok, the lab’s communications manager, adding that the ever-shifting matrix of challenges means that “in a few years we’ll have to work twice as hard”. The team is encouraged to test left-field ideas even if they fail – an unusual approach in Singapore’s often cautious work culture. Among the lab’s projects are a fleet of drones that hover in storms to deter ground lightning strikes that could shut down runways in one of the world’s most lightning-prone countries.
A national calling card
Changi’s obsession with efficiency is not new. It dates to the 1970s, when Singapore’s founding father and first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, decided that to grow, the small, trade-reliant nation needed a welcoming symbol of efficiency. It was a costly gamble, but it worked. Lee would eventually call Changi “the best S$1.5bn investment we ever made.”
Wide sightlines, clear wayfaring and uncluttered concourses are designed to keep passengers moving smoothly through the terminal.
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