SATS opens private-jet centre offering personalised services at Seletar Airport

IN-FLIGHT catering services provider SATS has opened the Business Aviation Centre (BAC) at Seletar Airport, to provide personalised lounge and passenger services to private-jet customers for discretion, privacy and speed, SATS said in a media statement on Tuesday.

The centre will ensure swift baggage handling, security check and immigration clearance, to allow a "seamless passage" through the airport for the passengers, SATS added.

Private-jet travellers will also enjoy fine dining in the skies, special dietary meals, express laundry services and a personal shopper.

Operations at BAC will be managed by SATS Seletar Aviation Services (SSAS), a joint venture consisting of SATS and Swiss global business aviation services provider, Jet Aviation, as well as Universal Aviation, the ground support division of US-headquartered Universal Weather and Aviation.

SSAS has handled more than 4,000 flight movements since its first flight at Seletar Airport on Nov 19, 2018. Of these, close to 70 per cent are attributed to business aviation, SATS said.

SATS also noted that the number of flights for business aviation is expected to grow 3-5 per cent year on year.

Bob Chi, chairman of SSAS, said that private-jet travellers are usually on a tight schedule and travel frequently, thus saving time while travelling is important to them.

"SATS hopes to support Changi Airport in their plan to grow Seletar Airport into a hub for business travellers and tourists travelling on private jets," he said.

Since April 21 this year, SATS has also been handling flights by Malaysian budget airline Firefly from Seletar Airport.

The company is the chief ground-handling and in-flight catering firm at Singapore Changi Airport.

SATS shares on the Singapore Exchange mainboard were trading up five Singapore cents at S$5.02 as at 3.17pm on Tuesday.