PSA and SATS join hands to improve sea and air connectivity

PORT and terminal operator PSA International (PSA) and ground handler and in-flight caterer SATS are partnering in several initiatives to improve supply chain efficiency, and sea and air connectivity for cargo owners and logistics service providers.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed on Thursday, PSA and SATS will work together on initiatives such as "yard-to-port" data linkages, network extensions between both companies, and enhanced track-and-trace capabilities. These are aimed at improving data transparency and ease of shipment movement within different free-trade zones.

One example cited in their joint statement on Thursday is how SATS can extend its services to new trade routes across both SATS and PSA, since SATS is now 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 and PSA will also integrate their systems to aid regulatory compliance and add to their data analytics capabilities. COSYS+, a comprehensive cargo terminal handling and management system operated by SATS, will be linked with CALISTATM, the global supply chain platform developed by PSA's subsidiary GeTS Asia Pte Ltd. This will provide real-time updates and greater visibility for shipments transported across various modes of transport, they said.

The two said in the statement that they want this partnership to make Singapore stronger as a global transshipment hub for air and sea cargo, paving the way for new business models and supply chain innovation. This can also help the freight industry be more efficient and benefit from lower costs and faster delivery.

Alex Hungate, president and chief executive officer for SATS, said:  "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."

Tan Chong Meng, group chief executive of PSA, 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 CALISTATM 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."