Changi airport turns contactless zone to fight pandemic

Singapore’s Changi Airport is trialling and implementing a range of new anti-virus measures as it prepares for a gradual resumption of flights in the post Covid-19 outbreak world.

Proximity touch check-in kiosks coated with anti-microbial disinfectants, new acrylic screens for counter staff, autonomous cleaning robots with misting attachments, and contactless toilets are just some of the measures, Bloomberg reports.

One of the world’s busiest airports for international passenger traffic, Changi like most of its global peers has been brought to an almost complete standstill by the virus outbreak, which has decimated the tourism industry.

In the first tentative steps toward reopening, Singapore last month signed an agreement with six Chinese cities and provinces exclusively for business travellers. The city-state is also in talks to establish “travel bubbles” with several countries including Malaysia, New Zealand and South Korea.

Skytrax has ranked Changi as the best airport in the world, eight times consecutively from 2013. The airport is the home of  several prominent carriers like Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Scoot, Jetstar Asia and BOC Aviation.

In 2019, Changi served 68.3 million passengers.