Lessons from Changi

It was sweltering hot in Singapore last week – the sticky, suffocating kind that makes you feel like you accidentally stepped inside a furnace.

I was there for roughly 48 hours to cover the Singapore Airshow. But in that short span, I felt the almost unbearable heat, especially at noon.

Aside from the heat, another almost unbearable and jaw-dropping fact in Singapore is the high cost of almost everything – far more expensive than in the Philippines.

Despite all this, it’s difficult not to be green with envy at Singapore and the way things work so efficiently in this island nation of six million.

Arriving at Changi Airport, for instance, and breezing through those shiny, pearly white electronic gates in less than a minute or two is every traveler’s dream. You don’t encounter malfunctioning gates or gates that can’t read your passport. It simply works.

But wait. There’s more.

Departing passengers go through a “passportless” automated clearance system that uses facial and iris biometrics for faster immigration processing.

It is impressive, and unfortunately also a sign of how far behind we are compared to this country that was once mired in corruption. With seamless exit, visitors in Singapore are able to spend more time at the airport for dining and shopping – activities that can help boost the economy. Over the longer term, this efficiency attracts more investors to their country, which has already gained a reputation as an expat bubble of sorts and as a hub of major multinationals.

There’s a lot to learn from the efficiency of countries like Singapore. Putting up e-gates, for instance, is also easy to do here in the Philippines. In fact, some of our major gateways have them.

The problem is that their response time isn’t as quick or sometimes they don’t work at all. I guess this has a lot to do with procuring the right equipment from reputable suppliers.

From F1 to Airshow

At the Changi Exhibition Center where the Singapore Airshow was held, Singapore had a very organized set-up. There’s a huge parking lot for the vehicles so they don’t block the entrance. There are free shuttles going to the nearest train station and golf carts from the entrance to the exhibition center, the chalets and the open-air section where the latest aircraft are on display.

It’s no wonder that Singapore can very well host international events such as the Formula 1 race and the Singapore Airshow, two shows that draw huge crowds from all over the world.

We can do this, too. But first, we have to fix our tourism infrastructure – airports and seaports – so they’re not like a chaotic marketplace.

Immediate steps that are very doable include adding more counters at immigration or putting up e-gates that actually work. At NAIA, we hope that the RSA-led private operator will finally be able to connect the three terminals. We are already seeing a lot of improvements since they took over. We will watch out for more changes that would make travel faster, safer and more convenient.

I am also hopeful that the transfer of turboprops or island planes to Clark would translate to more domestic tourism and not reduce it.

Some of our seaports have improved but some remain cramped.

First-time foreign visitors must find it easy to travel to and from our gateways. It’s not much to ask that they don’t get scammed by unscrupulous transport service providers.

It’s also very important to consider elderly travelers. Our tourism infrastructure must be senior- and PWD-friendly.

We can learn a lot from Singapore and how it successfully attracts visitors despite it being an expensive place. And yes, despite the sweltering heat.

Airbus strengthens Phl aviation workforce

Speaking of airport infrastructure, the Philippines also needs constant training for its aviation workforce – pilots, engineers and aircraft maintenance staff.

On the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow, Airbus signed an agreement with Cebu-based Indiana Aerospace University to support the development of its aviation maintenance training programs through the Airbus Competence Training (ACT) for Academy 1, a computer-based training solution.

The agreement will see Airbus and Indiana Aerospace University collaborate to equip students with industry-relevant knowledge and practical skills required for the maintenance of the A320 Family aircraft.

In turn, Indiana Aerospace University plans to integrate the ACT for Academy solution into its curriculum by the second quarter of the year and is expected to benefit up to 5,000 students over a five-year period.

Efforts for continuous learning such as this are always welcome.

Incidentally, during my recent trip, I had the chance to experience being on a flight simulator for the ATR 72-600 aircraft.

The training instructor, ATR’s Capt. Maurice Robe, was very patient as two other journalists and I, with zero experience in a flight simulator, tried to navigate turbulence, execute a steady descent and finally, land.

I thank ATR, which is a joint venture between Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo, for this rare opportunity.

Aviation, I learned inside the cockpit, is about preparation, precision and discipline. Tourism is no different. For it to truly take off, we must apply the same mindset – fix what doesn’t work, train our people well and build an environment ready for take-off.

As Cebu Pacific CEO Mike Szucs said, it doesn’t mean we have to build a Changi. But we can at least take a cue from this jewel of a gateway: speed and efficiency matter.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.