PSA teams with Changi’s ground-handler to promote sea-air connectivity

Terminal operator PSA International and SATS, the chief ground-handler at Singapore Changi Airport, have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide cargo owners and logistics service providers with connectivity between the new Tuas megaport and the airport.

“Combining sea and air connectivity services, the partnership between PSA and SATS strengthens Singapore’s position as a global transshipment hub for air and sea cargo, paving the way for new business models and supply chain innovation,” PSA stated in a release.

PSA and SATS will collaborate on a wide range of cross-industry initiatives, particularly in the perishables, electronics, and e-commerce spaces. From yard-to-port data linkages and network extensions between both companies, to enhanced track-and-trace capabilities, the partnership will facilitate data transparency and ease of shipment movement within different free-trade zones (FTZs). For example, as the world’s first ground handler to receive European Union (EU) approval as an authorised establishment for the provision of meat transshipment services between New Zealand and the EU, SATS’ services could potentially be extended to new trade routes across both companies’ networks.

Beyond physical cargo movement, SATS and PSA will also integrate their systems to aid regulatory compliance and build data analytics capabilities. COSYS+, a cargo terminal handling and management system operated by SATS, will be linked with CALISTA, PSA’s global supply chain platform.

“When SATS became the world’s first ground handler to provide multimodal meat transshipment services between New Zealand and the EU, we demonstrated that multimodal connectivity can attract higher trade flows. Today, we hope our cross-industry initiatives with PSA will now enable the whole industry to market efficient multimodal solutions globally, through Singapore.” said Alex Hungate, president and CEO of SATS.

Tan Chong Meng, group CEO at PSA International, said, “Shippers are increasingly seeking innovative multimodal solutions for their cargo to reach their preferred markets competitively. This partnership with SATS will enhance Singapore’s ability to offer unique air-sea multimodal connectivity to fulfil these demands. In addition, through digitally connecting CALISTA and COSYS+, we will be able to offer multimodal users greater visibility of their cargo and better protection of cargo integrity, with optimised transit times and costs.”