Terminal 1 Baggage Handling Systems

Terminal 1 (T1) is Singapore Changi Airport’s original terminal, opened in 1981 and operated by Changi Airport Group (CAG). Its baggage handling system (BHS) moves checked baggage between check-in, aircraft and the arrival baggage claim hall, and sits within the terminal’s back-of-house areas and apron-side spaces. An earlier T1 expansion upgraded the BHS from a semi-automated to a fully automated system, supported by the reconfiguration of part of the apron and arrival immigration hall to make room for the equipment.

Baggage handling systems are among the most space-intensive and service-dense parts of an airport terminal. They combine long conveyor runs, sorters, storage and screening equipment with structural supports, power and controls, all within fixed building envelopes that were built and modified over many years. Records of what exists on site often differ from the original drawings, particularly in a terminal that has been through several rounds of expansion.

Laser scanning and surveying were carried out to capture the as-built condition of the BHS areas, and BIM modelling, BIM coordination and BIM management were provided for CAG, giving a coordinated digital reference of the existing equipment, structure and services within an operating terminal.