Changi Airport’s three existing terminals are well-regarded globally. What were the team’s initial thoughts when embarking on designing the new T4?

Yam Kum Weng (KW ): We wanted to bring the “Changi Experience” to a new level. After many rounds of brainstorming, we came up with a theme that comprises three elements: fun, vibrant, and positively surprising. We aspired for every touchpoint to embrace these elements and for T4 to feel less formal than the existing terminals.

The other thought was: how can we design T4 to better serve our 3,000 staff working in that terminal? How do we create an environment that helps them deliver better service? How do we use automation to help them do more with less, especially with the current situation of manpower constraints and challenges of an ageing population? How do we design T4 such that all the staff look forward to coming to work every day? We paid a lot of attention to the details: down to the lighting, work desks and the ergonomics of the counters and chairs.

We approached the design of T4 from two perspectives: architectural and process design. We wanted to make T4 feel a little bit like a boutique hotel where you’ll feel some special touches of design. We were also aiming to be fast and seamless. I’m proud to say that at T4, there’s no queue at immigration.

What were some of the factors driving this need for systemic change?

KW: When we first started, we really thought about whom we are positioning T4 for. This was previously a budget terminal. We did surveys and research to find out what passengers want. We spoke to our retailers too. We asked our airline partners what the trends in their business models were. We found that passengers wanted more than a budget terminal. They wanted a good experience, reliability and something different. For the retailers, they did not want to be associated with the word “budget”. Imagine a fashion retailer operating in a budget terminal; it’s a big disconnect between their brand and the terminal. The airlines also told us that the business models between full-service and low-cost carriers are blurring and not as distinct as in the past. This is why we decided to position T4 as a premium terminal, but we injected a “twist” from our existing terminals.

A key feature of T4 is this Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST) programme’s self-service check-in and bag-drop kiosks that eliminate the traditional need for manual identity checks. How is FAST designed for passengers who now have to do everything themselves?

Jayson Goh (JG): One of the challenges was how to raise efficiency by automating the processes, but at the same time bring about a great experience for the passengers. We paid a lot of attention in the design considerations of FAST so that we could run parallel processes. Even when there’s no human in the process, the service level is not just the same but even higher.

People don’t realise how difficult it is to remove functions that used to be done by humans and automate it. We have to pay a lot of attention in ensuring the new technology meets not just the security requirements and efficient operations, but also passenger experience. While designing FAST , we had to consider the various steps needed to complete the processes, the kind of questions that appear on the screen to guide passengers, and even how the screen looks. These come together to make the system easy and fast for passengers to use. With FAST , we can process more passengers at every touchpoint. More importantly, it’s a pleasant surprise when the processing time is shorter than what passengers expect!

We believe that self-service doesn’t mean no service. The passengers love the automated system because of how easy it is to use. The entire process is taken into consideration—how intuitive the steps should be, how do we leverage on technology to make the whole process efficient. The response we always get from passengers is: “Oh, you mean it’s done?” That’s the kind of response we look forward to hearing.

Technology is at the “heart” of T4, enabling many of its functions to be automated. Yet, this is not immediately obvious to passengers. Tell us about the role technology plays in creating an efficient logistics operation.

JG: What you want to achieve with technology and design is that the passenger doesn’t even notice it. The subtlety of design, such as facial recognition, are all embedded in FAST . We call it parallel processing. As passengers are scanning their passport, the facial recognition and checks on their identity are done at the same time in the background. As far as the passenger is concerned, the number of steps they have to go through is reduced. We’re confident that our automated system is faster than the conventional system in other terminals. Now that the passengers spend less time during check-in, they can spend more time enjoying the rest of the amenities designed for them.

Automation also reduces the manpower required at the check-in and bag-drop stations. In the past, our staff used to sit behind the counter to do the processing. Now that this job is taken over by the machine, they can come to the side of the customer and serve them. The staff love the new automated system because their job is easier and they get to interact more with the passenger. This redesign of the whole process also allows staff to upskill their capabilities.

Much effort was put into transforming the typically stressful journey through an airport into a pleasant and even surprising one. How was this achieved?

KW: When designing T4, we tried to stay within Changi Airport’s DNA but with a twist. The colours at T4 are more exuberant. The seats are not the usual airport seats—they are fun, colourful and of different designs. The other example is the immersive experience. When you are going through immigration, you’ll be surprised by a 70-metre-wide immersive wall, which features elements and unique content that many Singaporeans have not seen before. It looks like a stone carving that depicts elements of Singapore, but if you look closely, the butterflies flutter and the elephant trunk can move. These are positively surprising elements that reduces the stress of the passengers.

JG: One of the key discoveries is how design can help the staff serve better. Security screening is traditionally one of the most stressful touchpoints of the airport experience, but this changes now with the immersive wall. When passengers approach the security screening, you’ll realise that the first sentence from the staff may no longer be: “Sir, please remove your shoes and laptop.” Now, they may say: “I hope you are enjoying the immersive experience you are about to embark on.” It changes the entire interaction that the staff can initiate with passengers. These subtleties help us discover new ways to surprise a passenger, and also makes the work environment much more pleasant for the staff.