SATS taps virtual reality, vehicle simulators to train cargo handlers

SINGAPORE – Aviation cargo handlers can now train using virtual reality and simulation technology in a risk-free environment before stepping into live operations.

Ground handler SATS launched a new training facility on Oct 15, designed to bolster safety, operational readiness and workforce capability.

Located at the SATS Airfreight Terminal, the SATS Immersive Centre has four systems that replicate a transporter, a joint pallet container loader, a forklift and a tractor.

While the transporter and the joint pallet container loader are only virtual reality systems, the forklift and tractor simulators feature hardware that mimics the actual equipment.

The systems also incorporate different weather conditions and workplace hazards.

For instance, staff training on the forklift simulator might encounter falling cargo pallets or oil slicks on the ground, prompting them to react in real time.

New employees will use the simulators as part of their training, while senior staff will undergo the same sessions as part of their refresher training.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling officiated the launch and toured the facility, which SATS developed alongside Singapore Polytechnic, with support from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

The centre will also be open to students from institutes of higher learning who are pursuing aviation-related courses

SATS Singapore Hub’s chief executive Henry Low said the facility will enable cargo handlers to go through scenarios that would be too dangerous to recreate on the ground.

“For us, technology is about strengthening human judgment and capability,” he said.

“Better preparation enables better decisions, and better decisions make operations safer.”

Putting the cargo handlers through realistic scenarios ensures that nothing will “feel strange” if they encounter similar real-life situations as they would have the skills and knowledge to adapt, he said.

The immersive experience enhances current training that includes learning in a classroom and on the job.

“As Changi (Airport) continues to grow in size and aviation operations continue to be more complex, we need to prepare our people better,” Low said.

Changi Airport handled 2.08 million tonnes of airfreight in 2025, up 4.5 per cent from the year before, making it one of the airport’s strongest cargo performances on record and its best since 2019, when it handled 2.01 million tonnes.

The airport’s Terminal 5 is scheduled to open in the mid-2030s.

T5 will effectively double the size of the airport, allowing it to handle 140 million passengers yearly – marking a significant increase of almost 55% from its current capacity of 90 million.

Aqil Hamzah is a transport journalist at The Straits Times. He is also interested in issues related to crime and technology.