SATS opens new BUP Handling Centre at Changi Airport to speed up airfreight

The centre spans half a soccer field.

SATS Ltd. has opened a new BUP Handling Centre at Changi Airport, aiming to cut cargo processing times and improve efficiency for airfreight operations.

Located at the SATS Cargo Airfreight Terminal, the BUP Handling Centre is designed specifically for Bulk Unitisation Programme (BUP) shipments—cargo units consolidated by freight forwarders or shippers for direct uplift onto flights.

The facility spans an area roughly half the size of a soccer field and features a dedicated, sheltered structure modelled after Singapore’s land checkpoints at Tuas and Woodlands.

SATS said the new centre will reduce minimum processing time by 20%, from 2.5 hours to 2 hours.

The faster turnaround improves response times for time-sensitive cargo and helps ease congestion at existing terminals and roadways.

The BUP Handling Centre supports cargo acceptance processes such as documentation checks, weighing, and verifying shipment size.

Once cleared, cargo can be towed directly to the airside, streamlining operations.

It will also serve as a test site for new cargo handling systems ahead of Changi Airport Terminal 5 and Changi East Industrial Zone openings.

SG Hub, launched in October 2024, manages ground and cargo handling services across Singapore’s air hubs, reinforcing SATS’ role as a key operator at Changi.