SINGAPORE — One of the two analogue flight information display boards from Changi Airport's Terminal 2 will be donated to the National Heritage Board (NHB).

The board, which was retired earlier this month, will become part of Singapore's National Collection, NHB and Changi Airport Group (CAG) said in a joint media release on Sunday (Mar 1).

“We are heartened that the flip boards have provided many wonderful memories to Changi Airport’s passengers and visitors over the decades, as they continue to capture the romance of travel in today’s highly digital age.

"The flip boards are certainly part of Changi Airport’s history. Hence, we will also re-use the last remaining flip board, to be retired in about two years’ time, in a different part of the airport as a display piece to be enjoyed by all who visit,” said Mr Ang Siew Min, CAG's senior vice-president of development operations.

Originally located between check-in rows 9 and 10 of the airport’s Departure Hall, the flip board had been undergoing de-installation in various stages in February as part of upgrading and expansion works at the 30-year-old terminal.

The different components of the board were documented by NHB and transported to its storage facility for cleaning.

Each flip board consists of one large display board, 48 panels which form the back board, more than 50 metal casings, and 2,052 capsules of individual alphabets and numbers.

The analogue flip boards were decommissioned due to challenges in maintenance, and increasing difficulties faced in sourcing for parts, CAG said.

After thorough cleaning of the components, a process estimated to take six months, the components will be transferred to NHB’s Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) to be accessioned as part of the National Collection.

At HCC, conservators will assess the condition of the components of the flip board, and recommend the necessary plans for conservation and storage. 

CAG and NHB will then explore future possibilities for display. More details will be shared at a later date, they said.

Mr Alvin Tan, NHB's deputy chief executive of policy and community said the board was accessioned into the National Collection because it is an "important piece of airport infrastructure and a formative feature of the air travel experience".

"Many Singaporeans will remember standing underneath the boards, listening to the clickety-clack sounds of the split flaps and waiting for their flight information to be displayed," he added. CNA

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