Changi Airports International unveils Centre of Excellence

Changi Airports International has established a new Airport Pavement Centre of Excellence, bringing airports, researchers and pavement specialists together to strengthen infrastructure resilience through innovation.

Summary:

Changi Airports International has established the Airport Pavement Centre of Excellence (APEX) to help airports address infrastructure challenges linked to climate change, rising air traffic demand and heavier aircraft operations.
APEX will bring together airport operators, academic institutions and pavement specialists to translate research, innovation and operational experience into practical solutions for pavement planning, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation.
The initiative aims to strengthen airport pavement safety, reliability and sustainability, helping operators reduce the risk of disruptive runway and taxiway closures while improving infrastructure resilience and operational efficiency.

Changi Airports International (CAI) – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Changi Airport Group (a Headline Partner of APEX FTE EXPO, Singapore, 18-19 November 2026) – has announced the establishment of the Airport Pavement Centre of Excellence (APEX), a platform aimed at helping airports address growing infrastructure challenges arising from climate change, increasing air traffic demand, and heavier aircraft operations.

Bringing together airport practitioners, academia, and pavement specialists, APEX will accelerate the translation of research, innovation and operational experience into practical solutions that improve the safety, reliability and sustainability of airport pavements.

Airport pavements are among the most critical assets in aviation infrastructure. Every aircraft take-off, landing and turnaround relies on the safe and reliable performance of runways, taxiways and aircraft stands. Yet, airports face mounting pressure as rising traffic volumes, heavier aircraft and more extreme weather place greater stress on pavement infrastructure. Unplanned runway and taxiway closures caused by pavement deterioration can disrupt operations, constrain airport capacity and result in significant economic impact.

While many airports face similar challenges, industry knowledge remains fragmented, and no single pavement solution can be applied universally across different climates, materials and operating environments. APEX is thus established to address these gaps. APEX is set up as a centre of excellence to address airport pavement challenges. Through research collaboration, technical exchange and industry engagement, APEX will help airport operators translate emerging research into practical solutions for pavement planning, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation.

“As airports around the world contend with increasing intensity of traffic demand and harsher weather conditions, building resilience into airfield infrastructure has become more important than ever,” said Mr Koh Ming Sue, Executive Vice President, Engineering & Development, Changi Airport Group. “At Changi Airport, leveraging our past 40 over years of aircraft pavement design and operating experience plus our strong partnerships with both the academia and practising industry experts, we have been taking proactive steps to strengthen performance while optimising resources in this field. Through the setup of APEX, we hope to continue to experiment, learn more and to share our knowledge and innovations to benefit the wider airport community and to meet evolving challenges.”

Hear more from Changi Airport Group at APEX FTE EXPO, taking place in Singapore on 18-19 November 2026. Jayson Goh, Executive Vice President, Airport Management, Changi Airport Group, will deliver a Headline Partner Keynote and join the ‘Opening APEX FTE Keynote Panel Discussion: The State of the Industry’. Jason Lin, Vice President Airport Operations Strategy & Transformation, Changi Airport Group, will share a presentation focused on ‘Autonomous operations at Changi Airport’. Jeffrey Loke, Senior Vice President, DIVA (Digital Factory), Changi Airport Group, will deliver a presentation titled ‘Terminal X: How Changi Airport Group is building a campus for digital innovation and transformation’. Meanwhile, Ching-Hock Chua, General Manager, International Projects, Changi Airports International, is participating in a session focused on ‘The future-proofed airport of tomorrow: From tech-first facilities to secondary connectivity’ with a presentation titled ‘Airport Pass in Changi (APIC) – the transformation journey’.