The days of flight information clicking and flipping into place are numbered at Changi Airport.
The airport announced Sunday it has dismantled one of two remaining analog flight information boards, but fortunately its parts were handed over for conservation.
The analog display board, built in 1999, was dismantled bit by bit last month after it was taken offline in January due to challenges such as finding replacement parts for it, while also making way for Terminal 2’s expansion. The other board will be decommissioned in two years’ time.
“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,” airport Senior Vice President Ang Siew Min said in a news release. “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.”
The analog boards make popular backdrops for travelers’ selfies before catching flights. The airport has installed digital flight information displays at its three other terminals.
Terminal 2’s expansion is expected to add another 15,500 square meters when it’s done in 2024.
The analog boards are located at the departure hall of Changi Airport’s Terminal 2. The one dismantled had been between check-in row Nos. 9 and 10.
Each board is comprised of 2,052 capsules of individual letters and numbers and more than 50 metal casings, according to the airport. It will take about six months to clean them before they can be transferred to the National Heritage Board’s conservation center to join the more than 200,000 pieces of artifacts and artworks in Singapore’s national collection.
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