Gan Heng and Amy are two of CAG’s employees who have had diverse work experiences in the company

Like the cogs in a well-oiled machine, all the divisions in Changi Airport Group (CAG) work closely together to serve the needs of more than 180,000 passengers travelling through the airport daily.

This makes Changi a dynamic work environment rich with opportunities for staff to navigate their desired career paths by trying out different roles within the company.

Besides giving staff an opportunity to discover their passion for the aviation industry, being able to move to a different role also allows them to advance their skills and career through taking on diverse work experiences, helping to keep employees engaged.

Changi Journeys speaks to two CAG employees who have had diverse work experiences within the company.

Gan Heng, General Manager, Airside Operations
Airport Operations Planning and Airside Division

When I first started at Changi… I was with the Airport Emergency Service (AES) team for about three years as Head Manpower and Standards, and concurrently Commander (Military) in the last six months, before moving to the Airside Operations team. Now, as a General Manager with Airside Operations, my team and I are responsible for assigning parking spaces to aircraft and operations planning. I have been in this position for about five years, and this April, I will be moving to join the Facilities Management team.

I chose to join the Facilities Management team because… it is an opportunity to learn new things, especially what goes on behind the scenes at the best airport in the world. With every role, I will also get to meet new people and work with new teams to make positive changes.

What I will enjoy most about my new role… is the excitement. The T4 Integrated Facilities Management team is pretty new, and it is always trying out new concepts, like new ways of cleaning for greater productivity and it is always exciting to be able to push the boundaries. Because there is no precedent, we get more latitude to define the outcomes of our work.

Moving to my new role has made me realise… that Changi places a lot of trust in its people to do their best in whatever roles they are given. And so, we are able to rotate to jobs in areas which we may have little experience. The people here are like a close-knit family, who give us the confidence to realise our potential. I have also been blessed with bosses who have been supportive of me taking professional and personal development courses.

My most memorable experience working at Changi is… always making new friends after tough situations. It’s always an achievement to have a fruitful discussion with colleagues who have differing opinions and goals, to understand their point of view, and finally become work allies. This is a unique quality of Changi Airport’s culture across the entire community and different partner organisations.

Amy Tan, Manager, Airline Development
Air Hub Development Division

When I first started at Changi… I was an intern with the Performance Standards Unit within the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). I then joined them as a permanent staff, and was in that role for about nine months before a reorganisation presented the opportunity to try my hand at something different with the Airside Operations team. I wanted to be closer to the ground and learn more about our real-time operations. It also gave me the chance to learn about the lesser-known areas of the airport, such as the apron and baggage areas. Thereafter, I had a short stint in the Terminal Operations team, before moving to the Air Hub Development Division. By then, Changi Airport was already corporatised and CAG had been formed.

I chose to join the Air Hub Development, because… I wanted to do more international strategy- and planning-related work.

What I enjoy the most about my new role is… working closely with airline counterparts who are always appreciative of our efforts. I feel happiest when my airline succeeds as a result of the work we have done together. My work with the Airline Development team has also allowed me to travel. I never dreamt that work would bring me to exotic destinations such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, or even Jayapura in the far eastern part of Indonesia.

Moving to my new role has made me realise… that I am very fortunate to have people who are willing to teach me and show me the ropes. On-the-job training really plays a big part in an employee’s success.

My most memorable experience working at Changi is… coming back to the airport once at 9pm and another time at 4am to move luggage. On those two different days, the baggage handling system encountered some issues, but through the commitment of the team we got through those challenging episodes.