SITA opens new experience hub in Singapore to showcase future of air travel

SITA, a leading provider of technology solutions to the aviation industry, has officially opened its new Customer Experience Centre (CEC) in Singapore, offering industry stakeholders and clients a hands-on look at the future of air travel.

The facility serves as an immersive showcase for SITA’s latest innovations in passenger processing, biometric identification systems, AI-powered airport operations, and emerging aviation technologies. Industry clients including airlines, airports, ground handlers, governments, and border agencies can experience these cutting-edge solutions firsthand.

Since it was founded in 1949, SITA has worked collaboratively with airlines and aviation partners to address evolving industry needs. Now, 76 years later, the company’s Singapore Customer Experience Centre highlights how far passenger processing technology has advanced, featuring AI-driven systems and sophisticated biometric solutions that are reshaping the travel experience.

#image_titleThe new facility positions Singapore as a hub for aviation technology innovation, allowing SITA’s diverse customer base to evaluate and test next-generation systems before deployment.

The era of passport-free travel

While demonstrating what passport-less travel would look like using biometric technologies, Kelvin Ng, SITA’s Senior Business Development Manager for Border Management, said aviation is rapidly moving towards a time when traditional passports will become obsolete.

Since October 12, 2025, many European airports have ceased stamping passports for non-EU visitors following the implementation of the digital Entry/Exit System (EES). SITA predicts that within just a few years, passengers may no longer need physical passports for international travel.

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Ng outlined how the passenger journey will be transformed. Travelers will complete processing from home using specialized applications that capture biometric and personal data, then transmit this information to relevant authorities for verification and secure sharing.

“Passport scanning starts at home, and along with your biometric data, you create a verifiable identity using details from your passport chip. It takes just a few seconds to verify, but because you’re doing it in the comfort of your home, there’s no time pressure,” Ng explained to AeroTime while demonstrating passport processing via an app. 

The airport experience will be equally streamlined, Ng said. 

“When you arrive at a check-in counter, a face scanner will be there. Essentially, your face becomes your passport. That’s the direction the industry is moving. Within the next five to eight years, we’ll see passport-free travel becoming widespread globally.”

This shift represents a complete reimagining of border control and passenger processing, with biometric authentication replacing traditional document verification at every stage of the journey.

Portable technology transforms the traditional check-in experience

One of the standout innovations at the Customer Experience Centre is the Flex Box, a compact device that reimagines the traditional airport check-in counter.

#image_titleResembling a small coffee machine, the Flex Box is a portable check-in and luggage tag printing station that can be deployed anywhere in an airport or airline office, liberating staff from being confined to fixed counter positions.

To illustrate its versatility, SITA positioned a Flex Box on a kitchen counter at the facility, where it blended seamlessly among espresso machines. The lightweight, touchscreen-enabled device prints boarding passes, generates baggage tags, and accepts QR code payments, giving airlines the flexibility to deploy it for various passenger handling needs throughout their operations.

Off-airport check-in revolution

Another breakthrough technology showcased at the center is a mobile passenger processing trolley that enables travelers to check in from locations outside the airport, including hotels and train stations.

Stefan Tuchen, SITA’s Business Development lead who also designed the trolley, told AeroTime that the system was engineered for maximum mobility, allowing it to be easily wheeled to any location.

“This gives passengers the opportunity to check in for flights from the comfort of their hotel rooms or any other off-airport location,” Tuchen said.

The trolley also features technology for weighing luggage, as well as printing boarding passes and bag tags. A logistics provider will then transport the bags directly to the airport. This will allow travelers to maximize their time with last-minute sightseeing or shopping, eliminating the stress of arriving at the airport early with checked baggage in tow.

The innovation is a notable shift in passenger processing, moving the airport experience beyond terminal boundaries and into the traveler’s pre-journey environment.

SITA: Seven decades of shaping aviation technology

In an exclusive interview with AeroTime, SITA Asia Pacific President Sumesh Patel reflected on the company’s pivotal role in shaping aviation technology over the past 76 years, contributing to virtually every major systems milestone in the industry.

“We work with ICAO and IATA to set global industry standards, so when you see technologies applied across airports, airlines, and governments today, we take pride in being instrumental in making those milestones happen,” said Patel, who has spent more than three decades with the company.

At the core of every innovation, Patel explained, is a fundamental question: How can passengers experience seamless interactions at every touchpoint of their journey?

“We want passengers to feel they are in control of their journey. Our goal is helping airlines and travelers realize the real benefits of technology without getting overwhelmed by its complexity. We aim to make it as seamless as possible,” he said.

Technology as enhancement, not replacement

Despite showcasing innovations that could seemingly replace human workers, Patel emphasized that SITA’s philosophy centers on supporting human capabilities rather than eliminating jobs.

“When you look at passenger and aircraft growth projections over the next 20 years, there simply won’t be enough staff to service that expansion,” Patel noted. “This is where technology becomes essential. We create efficiency and provide tools that enable people to serve passengers better and more effectively.”

The approach reflects a broader industry strategy: using automation and AI to address capacity constraints while maintaining the human element that remains central to customer service in the industry.The post SITA opens new experience hub in Singapore to showcase future of air travel appeared first on AeroTime.

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