The Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) story is one of brisk growth and bold innovation. Behind the company's success has been an unwavering commitment to customer service and willingness to invest in infrastructure to ensure that capacity is constantly ahead of demand.

The history of SATS can be traced back to the very beginning of commercial aviation in Singapore. In the early years, ground-handling services were provided by a department of Malayan Airways, which became Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) in 1967. Five years later, MSA ceased operations and paved the way for two new entities - Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Malaysian Airline System (MAS).

As SIA concentrated on its core business of running an airline, the establishment of SATS as a separate, yet wholly-owned subsidiary company evolved naturally. On 15 December 1972, SATS was formally corporatised with 1,673 staff. By the end of the first year, staff numbers rose to 2,000 while gross revenue increased by 25 per cent.

Steady expansion was to be a continuing theme for SATS. In 1977, SATS opened an airfreight terminal at Paya Lebar Airport capable of handling 160,000 tonnes of cargo a year.

Four years later, SATS made the move to Singapore's new Changi Airport after investing S$147 million in a new headquarters building, a new inflight catering centre, which at that time was the largest single-building inflight kitchen in the world, and two new airfreight terminals.

By the mid-1980s, SATS was able to handle about 20,000 passengers a day at Changi Airport, a 60 per cent increase over the 12,700 passengers handled daily at Paya Lebar Airport in 1980. Cargo also registered double-digit growth rates.

In 1985, SATS was restructured into four companies so that it could better manage demand for its services. Singapore Airport Terminal Services became the parent company and subsidiaries were formed out of the four operating divisions: Apron Services, Cargo Services, Passenger Services and Catering.

Four years later, SATS added two new airfreight terminals and invested in new passenger handling equipment for Changi Airport's Terminal 2. This increased its passenger handling capacity to more than 20 million passengers a year.

In 1992, three companies within SATS - Apron, Cargo and Passenger Services - were merged to form a new company, SATS Airport Services (SAS). This consolidation was designed to improve co-ordination and communication, and strengthen the SATS Group's competitiveness.

Over the next four years, an express courier centre, capable of handling 40,000 tonnes of cargo a year, was opened along with the S$215 million Airfreight Terminal 5, the S$172 million Inflight Catering Centre 2 and a S$40 million SATS Maintenance Centre.

Since the move to Changi in 1981, SATS has invested more than S$1 billion in state-of-the-art facilities. A second Express Courier Centre for partner DHL Worldwide Express, costing S$30 million, was completed in December 2001.

At the end of the 1999-2000 financial year, SATS owned and operated five airfreight terminals with a combined handling capacity of 1.3 million tonnes of cargo a year and two catering centres capable of producing 27 million meals a year.

In the first quarter of 2001, a sixth airfreight terminal costing S$270 million with a handling capacity of 800,000 tonnes of cargo per annum commenced operations.

2003 saw the launch of SATS' web-based system, CargoNet, to further complement its cargo tracking service. It also upgraded the materials handling system in Airfreight Terminals 1 to 4 to improve cargo handling effieciency and equipment serviceability.

In July 2005, SATS launched a range of new products and service upgrades, aimed at redefining the ground handling and inflight catering industry. The new brand promise of "One with You" further strengthened its promise of touching lives and building lasting affinity with all customers and stakeholders.

Besides its operations in Singapore, SATS has also established a network in Asia through joint ventures in China (including Hong Kong & Macau), India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Maldives.

With 60 years of dedicated service to customers, SATS has emerged as the region's premier ground handling and inflight catering company.

Back to top