by Coen Roelofs
Yes! Changi Airport in Singapore has its first aircraft stand equipped with CEDD lights. On July 25, we, together with the contractor Wah Loon, completed the Proof Of Concept (POC) project at stand A3. With the support of our local TKH Security team in Singapore, we successfully installed the CEDD system within the allocated stand and taxiway closures.
The journey was challenging. Our first stand and taxiway closure on February 29 revealed that the engineering documentation did not fully represent the as-built status. Moreover, it took four hours to open a manhole, only to discover it was filled with water and was not the connection we were looking for.
A much needed site survey in March provided insights to reroute the CEDD cable from the electrical cabinet to the stand via the Passenger Loading Bridge instead of underground. This approach resulted in some much needed progress. However, before commencing the installation, substantial paperwork was required and several working permits (Renovation works, Earth Works) needed approval from Changi stakeholders.
On June 30, armed with detailed site survey data, we were confident in managing the installation. The taxiway sawcut began, the old lights were removed, and Wahloon’s team started installing a new cable duct under the Passenger Loading Bridge. Meanwhile, the TKH Singapore team installed the CEDD Power Cabinet and Base Station in the electrical cabinet. Everything was going smoothly until I received a call from Eu Gene, screaming, “Where is light #12?” To my surprise, a video call revealed a newly paved patch of asphalt where light #12 was supposed to be. This unexpected change caught everyone off guard.
Despite this setback, we continued the journey. It took three additional closures from midnight to 6:00 AM to finally complete the POC in the early morning of July 25 with some happy cheering and nice disco effects as a result.
