Keeping up the tempo with Etihad Airways and Japan Airlines!

APRIL 2016
GROUND SCENE
A publication by dnata Singapore Pte Ltd | MCI (P) 115/06/2015
05
PRIVATE AVIATION
INDUSTRY SET FOR
LIFT-OFF
06
CELEBRATING THE
FIRST-YEAR CATERING
MILESTONE WITH
AIR NEW ZEALAND!
10
NURTURING OUR
LEADERS OF
TOMORROW
11
VIGILANCE WINS US
BRONZE AT ANNUAL
AIRPORT SECURITY
FORUM
Keeping up the tempo
with Etihad Airways and
Japan Airlines!
FEATURE
GROUND SCENE
2
Keeping up
the tempo with
Etihad Airways
and Japan Airlines!
The successful commencement of partnership with
Etihad Airways and providing services to Japan Airlines
helps dnata Singapore sustain the tempo with which
we started in 2016.
Two key new partnerships that took effect
in the first quarter of 2016 see dnata
Singapore maintaining the high note we
enjoyed at the start of the year. Etihad Airways,
which has been operating in Singapore for the past
eight years, cut over to our passenger, baggage
handling and ramp services on 15 March. Earlier
this year, on 1 January, we started providing
technical ramp and aircraft maintenance services
to Japan Airlines.
2
“We may be the smaller ground
handling player at Changi, but
we are hungry to win and we
know we need to commit to
resources to always be at the
top of our game.”
The addition of Etihad to the dnata family here
means we are now servicing all Middle Eastern
carriers flying to Changi, and brings the number of
our airline customers up to 40.
Etihad currently operates a weekly flight from
Singapore to Abu Dhabi on its Boeing 787-900
Dreamliner aircraft. Annually, we are expecting to
welcome more than 80,000 passengers and handle
more than 120,000 pieces of baggage on its flights.
The Hunger to Win
Explaining the poignancy of this partnership, a
delighted Mark says: “We may be the smaller
ground handling player at Changi, but we are hungry
to win and we know we need to commit to resources
to always be at the top of our game. We have come
a long way since starting our drive to up our game
– by investing heavily in service training, improving
our infrastructure and facilities and revamping our
systems and process to reap higher productivity.
“We have seen positive results through airline
customers that have decided to switch to dnata
Publisher
dnata Singapore Pte Ltd
50 Airport Boulevard
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore 819658
- MARK EDWARDS
Singapore as their preferred ground handling
partner in Singapore.”
Airport Services) before being acquired by the dnata
Group.”
The key to our success, Mark believes, lies in our
agility and ability to offer bespoke solutions to our
airline customers. “The customer is at the heart
of everything we do, and we pride ourselves on
delivering the kind of quality customer service that
sets us apart. This way of business is ingrained in
our DNA and is the critical driver of our success,
along with how we plan and deploy our resources.”
Passengers, he continued, expect a very high
standard from the airline because of its known
service excellence. Such expectations are vindicated
by Air Transport World (ATW), awarding Etihad the
Best Airline in the World accolade recently. “With
dnata as our ground handling agent, I know their
expectations will be met.” To familiarise the dnata
team on Etihad standards for check-in, departure
gate, baggage and push back services, dnata
Singapore hosted trainers from Etihad before the
official cutover on 15 March.
Chocks Off, Without a Hitch
After the official cutover on 15 March that went
without a glitch, Baldev Bul, Airport Manager for
Etihad, said: “We feel good about this partnership.
The quality of dnata’s service is well known in the
airline community here. It certainly has come a long
way from the time it was CIAS (Changi International
Telephone:
(65) 6511 0288
Facsimile:
(65) 6542 6604
Email:
commercial@dnata.sg
Website:
www.dnata.sg
Mark acknowledges the importance of training
before assuming huge responsibilities for an
airline customer. “As a ground handling partner,
dnata takes on the role of representative and brand
Editorial Committee
Daniel Banens
Isabell Tay
Ground Scene is published
quarterly by dnata Singapore
Pte Ltd.
Official Photographers
Kong Chong Yew
Copyright of the materials
contained in this magazine
belongs to dnata.
Views expressed may not
necessarily be those of
dnata. All rights reserved. All
information is correct at time
of printing.
FEATURE
April 2016
3
01 _ It is our inaugural handling and team dnata is putting all
their concentration and effort into preparing to welcome the
first passenger.
02 _ We presented a congratulatory cake to Etihad Airways
ground and air crew in celebration of the start of the
partnership with dnata Singapore.
03 _ A gathering of both teams from dnata and Etihad
Airways on the first day of handling.
04 _ Team dnata Singapore and Etihad Airport Manager,
Baldev Bul.
3
ambassador for all the airlines that the company
serves.” Referring specifically to Etihad, he says: “To
present the best image and provide the best service
possible to passengers, the dnata team must be
familiar with how Etihad operates and embrace its
service culture. The team handling Etihad’s flight is
diverse, consisting of veterans who can value add
through their experience, and new joiners, to inject
energy into the team.”
Faridah Suhaimi, dnata’s Manager, Customer
Service, explains what the training entailed.
“Airlines and ground handlers have different
views and focus, but both work towards the same
goal. The training ensured competency in the use
of the Etihad check-in system and taught dnata
staff how to allocate seats in a way that maintains
equal weight distribution for the flight.” Frontline
staff also learned the uniform and grooming
standards expected.
Another Good Match
Another of our new collaborations – with
SASCO to provide technical ramp services
to Japan Airlines – kicked off on 1 January. For this
partnership, dnata provides the technical ramp
services component while SASCO sees to the aircraft
maintenance requirements. It is a good and natural
match for both companies, according to Derek Yap,
Assistant Vice-President, Ramp & Baggage Services,
dnata Singapore.
“The first day of operations went without a hitch,”
he recalls. “It helps that dnata is familiar with B767
requirements and handling, and that both JAL and
Safety is dnata’s priority and the same can be said for
JAL’s emphasis on the topic as well. Before the start
of the operations, the dnata and JAL teams met up to
share with each other on their respective safety vision
and KPIs. dnata’s managers from Safety and the Ramp &
Baggage departments met up with key personnel from JAL,
represented by Kojiro Yamashita, Regional Manager, and
Yuki Inuzuka, Station and Cargo Manager.
4
“The ramp team also needs to be familiar with the
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for ramp
handling, such as the right way to load baggage
containers and the timing targets set to ensure
a flight arrives and departs on time,” Derek Yap,
Assistant Vice President for Ramp and Baggage
Services adds on.
Initially classroom-based, the training moved on
to trial sessions to increase familiarity of the work
environment prior to the cutover, Faridah elaborates.
Starting on 18 February this year, it was completed
in good time for the official start of the partnership
on 15 March.
Opportunities Ahead
Baldev sees more Etihad flights to Singapore in the
future and the possible expansion of the partnership
with dnata Singapore when the airline receives
more Boeing 787-900 aircraft soon.
SASCO see this as a partnership. For each handling,
dnata, SASCO, SATS and JAL all work on the aircraft
at the same time, so it is imperative that we respect
one another.”
This is the first time dnata Singapore is providing
services to Japan Airlines with SASCO, says Derek.
“We complement each other very well in terms of
the services we can provide to the airline. Working
together in future, we can be a one-stop shop for
any airline that calls at Singapore, covering its
passenger, ramp, baggage, cargo, technical ramp,
load control, catering and aircraft maintenance
needs.”
Priorities Dovetail
Both dnata and Japan Airlines lay great emphasis on
safety. Besides familiarising ourselves thoroughly
with the airline’s Standard Operating Procedures
before operations started on 1 January, Bernard
Sim, Manager for Safety & Security, shared the
dnata Safety Programme with the airline. Both
sides discussed their respective safety visions and
goals to achieve a common understanding. The
exchange led to the airline awarding us with a safety
certificate of recognition.
“In signing a contract with a ground handling agent,
our head office looks at how we can grow together.
Of course, the fact that both dnata’s Catering and
Cargo divisions are known to be flexible and do
their best to accede to the requests of their airline
customers, bodes well for future partnership.”
On a similar note, Mark says: “Our focus is first about
understanding the airline that we are working with
so that we can tailor solutions to the requirements
the airline has. We are working even harder now
to be nimble and dynamic so we can maintain our
flexibility and quick response time to challenges
daily. Now that we have shown our capabilities in
providing passenger and ramp handling services to
Etihad, we hope to extend this working relationship
to other areas and also see how we can help Etihad
grow its base in Singapore by working on new
service and products to offer its passengers. The
possibilities for collaboration are limitless.”
Japan Airlines currently operates twice daily from
Singapore to Narita and once daily to Haneda. “It
is exciting to begin a working relationship with JAL.
It is the first time we are working with a Japanese
carrier here in Singapore,” says Daniel Banens, Chief
Commercial Officer, dnata Singapore.
Observing that the dnata Group operates at many
other airports that Japan Airlines flies to, he
adds: “We hope that this opens the door to more
opportunities to discuss collaborations in the future,
not just in Singapore, but also around the dnata
global network.”
Wins, Renewals, Set 2016 Tempo
dnata Singapore had closed 2015, buoyed by eight
new customer wins, including the ones with Etihad
Airways and Japan Airlines, as well as the renewal
of contracts with key customers such as Air France,
KLM, China Airlines and Garuda Indonesia.
These successes show we have firmly established
our capabilities in working seamlessly in the timesensitive and dynamic environment at Changi
Airport, says Mark. The promising starts of our
partnerships with Etihad and Japan Airways offer
further proof of this and help us keep the tempo set
by our wins and renewals.
TURNING THE SPOTLIGHT ON
GROUND SCENE 4
Promising Start Bodes Well
for Further Collaboration
He has been in the navy and flown as a flight attendant, but Baldev Bul, Airport Manager
for Etihad Airways, enjoys being on the ground with passengers most of all.
Baldev Bul
Airport Manager
Etihad Airways
A yearning to see the world prompted Baldev Bul
to join the Singapore Navy after leaving school.
However, as he sailed mainly in regional waters
with this job, he took to the sky with Gulf Air when
the opportunity emerged to be a flight attendant
with them.
Over the next 13 years, he not only saw as much of
the world as he wanted, but also rose through the
ranks to be inflight standards supervisor, checking
service standards on board. He then landed a ground
job in Singapore when Gulf Air opened a station here
and eventually became its Airport Manager, then
Area Manager (Sales) and finally Airport Manager
South East Asian region.
When Gulf Air stopped flying to Singapore, Baldev,
who had by then been with them for almost 30
years, joined Etihad the next day – on 1 August
2007 – as Airport Manager. “I took up this position
because I enjoyed working in Changi Airport too
much to want to move,” he explains.
Ground Partner an Extension Arm
It is a post that is just up his street though. “What
I really like about my job is to be of service to
people. It is what keeps me going,” he says. As
Airport Manager, he has responsibilities covering
every aspect of Etihad’s ground operations, from
passenger service to baggage handling and ramp
services, to catering, cargo, and liaison between
the groups.
“Every incident or problem we have is handled
differently, depending on the situation, and that is
the main challenge. Passenger satisfaction is the
ultimate reward for us.”
By his own acknowledgement, Baldev “is married
to this company” and spends most of his time at
Changi Airport. Often seen in front of the checkin counters mingling and chatting with staff and
guests – as Etihad calls its passengers – he leads by
example to offer the best service possible.
Best Brand in the Market
A ground handling agent is part of the family, an
extension arm of its airline customer, according
to Baldev. “They are Etihad. A passenger does not
distinguish between us.”
Pointing to the recent Best Airline in the World
accolade Etihad received from Air Transport World
(ATW), he said Etihad is the “best brand in the
market”. As such its passengers expect the same
Etihad service standards from wherever they fly
with the airline.
“I worked with dnata before when they were known
as CIAS and I have seen their service across all three
terminals. I believe we can work together and we
will be good as one,” Baldev adds.
To help dnata’s Etihad team understand the airline’s
service standards better, they received training
before dnata Singapore officially became Etihad’s
ground partner for passenger, ramp and baggage
handling services on 15 March.
Eye on the Future
Reflecting on the shape of future partnership with
dnata, Baldev says, “There will be opportunities in
other areas. I know for a fact that the catering part
of dnata is excellent and the cargo side has won
quite a lot of accolades.
“When a contract is signed it is on the
recommendation of the local port. It is important
that we look at the bigger picture of what the
handling agent can offer and how we can grow
with each other.”
For the airline itself, Baldev believes the frequency
of flights between Singapore and Abu Dhabi will
increase when Etihad takes delivery of more Boeing
787-900 aircraft in the near future. “We will be the
world’s largest operator of the Dreamliner,” he says
proudly.
“When a contract is signed it is
on the recommendation of the
local port. It is important that
we look at the bigger picture
of what the handling agent
can offer and how we can
grow with each other.”
BALDEV BUL
AIRPORT MANAGER
ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Currently the airline operates a B787-900 aircraft
daily between Abu Dhabi and Singapore, which
is the only Southeast Asian destination to offer
passengers First, Business and Economy seats. In all,
Etihad flies to 68 countries with 116 destinations.
Focused on the Region Now
Outside work, Baldev, enjoys the sports activities
that any present or ex-Navy person would be good
at – swimming and diving. He also takes in one or
two films a week.
Although he once chose a career based on the yen
to see the world, Baldev now prefers travelling to
neighbouring countries. His favourite destination
currently is Thailand and, despite his many trips
there, there are still many provinces he wishes to
explore.
TURNING THE SPOTLIGHT ON
April 2016
5
Private Aviation Industry
Set For Lift-off
Almost two decades of experience with local
enterprises and multinational corporations
across multiple industries has taught Jamie
Lee how to grow bottom lines – whatever
the market challenges – and to think out of
the box.
Bespoke Premium Service
Having staff who are cross-trained and multitasking
gives PAS one of its unique selling points because it
means the team “is highly adaptable in providing
quick, bespoke premium services to clients at short
notice,” Jamie continues.
Jamie Lee
Senior Manager
Commercial – Private
Aviation Services & Lounges
As Senior Manager of dnata’s Private Aviation
Services (PAS) arm, Jamie Lee is empowered to
develop a newly formed company in a business
sector still in its infancy.
“The team that receives and responds to handling
requests and runs the planning, coordination
and paper work is the same team that runs the
ground and technical services for our clients.
Any aircraft wishing to land at Changi Airport or
take off from it must book a slot – a tall order
during peak hours. As we operate 24-7, we can
process a slot request at Changi Airport anytime
of the day, even if there is a last minute request
for landing because we are not bound by regular
office hours. ”
“It means I can be creative and gung-ho about
developing new market opportunities for dnata
PAS and further improve service standards and
offerings for our very high net worth and niche
customer segment,” Jamie enthuses.
Other special strengths of PAS are its dedication
to offering better than first class services from
the heart, knowledge of service requirements,
knowledge of the local operating environment
and its performance track record, says Jamie.
In addition to making PAS increasingly profitable,
her key responsibilities include enhancing team
culture and performance standards, managing
client relationships, and ensuring her team
members have the valid skill sets, resources and
environment to deliver their best to high networth clients.
She’s “Got Their Back”
To motivate her team towards the goals she has
set for PAS, Jamie often brainstorms with them
to find best-fit solutions for clients. She also
empowers them to make decisions to deliver
genuine heartfelt service to both passengers and
crew members.
Safe, Lean and Flexible
One of Jamie’s goals for PAS from Day One of
operations is ‘zero aircraft damage’ and the
unit has achieved and maintained this. “This
is a very good track record for safety and team
performance,” she points out, adding that PAS
places great importance on safety and taking care
of customers’ aircraft.
As well, she is quick to acknowledge their efforts
or initiatives so they know they have the support
to act quickly to meet customers’ needs or, simply,
delight them. “Some of the wonderful things
the PAS team members do include presenting
birthday cakes with lighted candles and breaking
out into a birthday song for passengers or crew.”
For Jamie, being a good manager also means
letting her staff know she is working alongside
them and will provide them with the necessary
resources and direction when they face challenges
they cannot handle. “They know that I’ve got their
back, even when the going gets tough.”
What is more, the dnata business unit has hit
98% of its service level performance for concierge
services, ramp services, equipment condition,
grooming, attitude and overall experience –
higher than the 85% KPI goals set.
Jamie credits these achievements to the
unit’s dedicated concierge service and ramp
services team members who multitask and are
increasingly cross-trained. They are also flexible
about their working hours as private jets arrive
and leave, often at short notice.
Because the nature and frequency of flights
in private aviation are ad hoc, PAS needs to
“constantly challenge ourselves to be lean,
multitasking and flexible” Jamie explains. “The
emphasis on cross-training and multitasking
is core to PAS to ensure maximum business
flexibility and a lean operational cost.”
Upward Trajectory Expected
With Singapore developing Seletar Airport to
focus on business aviation, as well as regional
growth possibilities on the horizon, Jamie sees
an upward trajectory for PAS.
A hundred per cent dedicated to her job, Jamie,
who is married with a son, relaxes by turning
to YouTube to take in interesting facets of life,
culture, anthropology, myths and science. She
also loves cooking and was probably a chef in her
previous life, she says tongue in cheek.
And her sense of humour, she believes, is what
takes her through the stressful parts of her work.
“They also know that they
are not judged and are given
support and opportunity to
develop their skills. Even
when they feel they are at the
deepest end, they can depend
on me to work with them.”
JAMIE LEE
SENIOR MANAGER, COMMERCIAL –
PRIVATE AVIATION SERVICES & LOUNGES
(NON-AIRLINE)
dnata singapore
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
GROUND SCENE
dnata visits Bhutan
for Cultural Emersion
dnata representatives learn what Bhutanese
culture entails to serve Drukair better.
An insight into the service culture of an airline helps
us serve its passengers better. As the representative
of various airlines at Changi Airport, dnata feels it is
important we understand and embody the brand of
each airline we represent.
And what better way to achieve this than a trip to a
customer airline’s headquarters for culture emersion?
dnata representatives were recently thrilled to take up
an invitation from Drukair to visit Bhutan and experience
the Bhutanese way of life and service culture.
They visited the airline’s headquarters and learnt about
the way operations are run in Drukair’s home base.
On this trip, they also toured its cargo and catering
operations facilities and met up with the airline’s
Commercial, Marketing and Senior Management teams.
But it was not all work and no play. Our lucky colleagues
got to tour Bhutan and take in the sights, including the
mountains that make up this kingdom and Thimphu,
Bhutan’s capital, which is home to the world’s tallest
bronze Buddha statue.
01
6
Celebrating the first-year
catering milestone
with Air New Zealand!
Air New Zealand, it’s a pleasure celebrating
the first anniversary of our partnership.
It seems like yesterday, but we have been crafting culinary treats for Air New Zealand passengers
since 6 January 2015. Exactly a year on, dnata Singapore celebrated the 1st anniversary of this
gratifying partnership with the Kiwi flag carrier to mark a new milestone for 2016.
Air New Zealand used to fly to Singapore and worked
with us when we were known as CIAS. The bond
established previously led them back to us for their
catering requirements when they started operating
to Singapore again last January. The airline now
flies daily between Singapore and Auckland on a
Boeing B787.
In an interview for the July issue of Ground Scene
last year, Tresa Mok, Airport Manager for Air New
Zealand, complimented dnata for always doing
what they can to meet customers’ expectations.
She also said that the partnership between Air
New Zealand and dnata was great so far and there
is room for development in future because of our
customer-centric approach. “I have faith that they
will provide services that are above and beyond
passengers’ expectations,” she added.
Cathay Pacific Achieves
Self-Service Baggage Tagging
at Changi
02
dnata partnered the local Cathay Pacific team to make
Changi the first airport in the carrier’s network to have
self-service bag tags.
Yes, we have done it! We recently helped
Cathay Pacific Airlines (CX) make Singapore
the first port in its global network to offer
passengers self-service tags, which means,
they need not queue at a counter to drop
off their bags, but can weigh and tag their
bags themselves and drop them to be
loaded for a flight.
03
01 _ dnata staff met up with
Drukair senior management
during the trip at a dinner hosted
by Mr Tandi Wangchuk, Drukair
Chief Executive Office; Mr Rinzin
Dorji, Deputy Managing Director
and Mr Namgay Wangchuk,
General Manager of Ground
Operations.
02-03 _ Outside work, staff
got the opportunity to tour the
mountains that make up the
nation of Bhutan and visited the
world’s tallest Bronze Buddha
statue in the capital city of
Thimphu.
Watching the very first tag emerge from
the CX Self-service kiosk (SSK) for a
passenger at Changi, Dominic Vallado, CX
Airport Services Manager in Singapore, and
the dnata CX team here, felt a sense of
justifiable pride.
In a Thank You note to us for the part
we played in launching the CX SSK
successfully, Dominic writes: “We can now
proudly say....Together we did it!”
From the initial solution from IT, to
approvals from local authorities, to
drills, training sessions and numerous
coordinated efforts from various teams of AHQ, IT,
CAG, SITA, the whole preparation exacted dedication
and long hours. However, he points out that the fruit
of that labour is sweet.
There are more milestones to pass as CX sets
up more of its SSKs from now to the completion
of Terminal 4 and even beyond, Dominic
acknowledges. For now, his message is: “Thank you
to all for making this happen!”
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
7
April 2016
01
02
Auspicious yu Sang Dish
Ushers in the Monkey year
03
Team dnata relishes a hearty lou hei ritual with customers to
celebrate another new lunar year.
It was the annual lou hei time again for team dnata and its customers as they
welcomed the Monkey into the new lunar year. Delving into the yu sang dish and
tossing up (lou hei in Cantonese) its many colourful ingredients is a symbolic
ritual the team shares annually with airline customers, agents, suppliers and
partners to herald a successful year ahead for all.
As each ingredient in yu sang represents something auspicious, such as health,
love, harmony and wealth, the ritual is popular in Singapore and Malaysia as
it is a remarkable way for everyone at the table to bond while enjoying the
delightful dish.
2015 was an exceptional year for dnata and the dnata team wanted to thank
everyone for their support.
01 _ dnata senior management, staff from catering and commercial division and airline
customers tossing our way to a bigger and better Year of the Monkey.
02 _ A buffet lunch spread out put together by Executive Chef Denis Lartique followed.
03 _ The cargo management team celebrated the lunar new year with airline customers and
agents at the dnata Cargo Warehouse on 12 February 2016 with a lou hei lunch.
04-07_The dnata cargo management team and customers.
08-11 _ Airline representatives in the Changi community joined us at the dnata corporate
building for the lou hei.
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
PHOTO GALLERy
GROUND SCENE
8
1
DNATA BOWLING TOURNAMENT
ORCHID BOWL, E!HUB, DOWNTOWN
(23 JANUARy 2016, SATURDAy)
1.
Mark Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of dnata,
and his wife also came by to mingle and play a
few rounds of bowling.
2-8.
It was the biggest turnout ever at the annual
dnata Bowling tournament with more than 20
teams participating! It was also an opportunity
for colleagues to catch up and bond outside the
work environment.
2
FAREWELL DINNER WITH BANGKOK AIRWAyS
BREAD STREET KITCHEN, MARINA BAy SANDS
(19 FEBRUARy 2016)
9.
3
4
8
5
After 4 years of working together, we bid
farewell to Koelarkorn Konrajpobmonkol from
Bangkok Airways (middle). WE wish him all the
best in his endeavours!
6
7
9
PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG
VISITS CHANGI AIRPORT
(FEBRUARy 2016)
10.
During the Lunar New Year, Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong visited Changi Airport
to bring some celebratory cheer to dnata
staff who are working hard over the festive
season. Mark Edwards, members of the
dnata Staff Union and selected staff had
the privilege of meeting Mr Lee.
10
PHOTO GALLERy
April 2016
9
MADONNA REBEL HEART TOUR,
SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
(28 FEB 2016)
11.
Dyana Chua, Manager for Sales & Relationships
hosted airline customers from Qatar Airways,
Sri Lankan Airlines and Lufthansa Technik at
the dnata Suite at the Singapore Sports Hub.
Everyone had a blast at Madonna’s concert!
CELEBRATORy DINNER WITH JAL AND SASCO,
RISTORANTE AMARONE
(4 MARCH 2016)
12.
The dnata management team hosted SASCO and
JAL to a celebrate the start of our partnership.
Attending from Japan Airlines are Kojiro
Yamashita, Masahiro Nishijima, Yuki Inuzuka and
Eiki Koyanagi. Michael Goh represented SASCO.
11
12
13
MEET AND GREET SESSIONS WITH
JASON TAN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
(GROUND AND CARGO SERVICES)
CHANGI AIRPORT
13-15.
It is important for the management team
to walk the ground and hear from the staff.
Jason Tan, COO; Faridah Suhami, Manager
for Customer Services, and Jerry Quek,
Customer Operations Manager, do this on a
regular basis over lunch with the different
teams in the Customer Services Division.
14
15
DNATA CEO GOLF DAy
TANAH MERAH COUNTRy CLUB
(16 MARCH 2016)
16
17
18
16.
The first dnata CEO Golf Day was a smashing success!
Mark Edwards, David Bian, Derek Yap and Tan Chong
Lee hosted our airline customers to a game of Texas
Scramble at the Tanah Merah Country Club, Tampines
Course.
17.
Mark Edwards presents the prizes to the winning
team - Derek Yap, Sentot Mujiono from Garuda
Indonesia, and Yeoh Hock Thye from Delta Airlines.
18.
After the game, team dnata hosted airline customers
to dinner to wind down the evening.
BEHIND THE SCENES @ dnata
10
GROUND SCENE
Nurturing Our Leaders of Tomorrow
Targeting regional expansion in the longer term, dnata is grooming its next generation of leaders now.
team already has its professional and technical
competencies. However, being an effective leader
is a skill that takes time to grow and nurture.”
To this end, dnata Singapore has paired up
with Rohei as our training partner to develop a
customised programme aimed at the middlemanagement tier.
k away
ship programme too
ts of the dnata Leader
effective
to make them more
The pioneer participan
hs
ngt
stre
ir
the
l
channe
learnings on how to
rse.
leaders from the cou
With our hunger for growth in the Asia Pacific
region, dnata Singapore has identified the most
vital element for our future expansion – our next
generation of leaders. We have, therefore, set great
store in succession planning as part of our longterm expansion plan.
“At Changi, we are the face of our airline customers
to their passengers. We deliver our best service
through our people,” says Mark Edwards, Chief
Executive Officer, dnata Singapore. “I want my nextgeneration leaders to be able to harness the power
of their teams to continue to deliver extraordinary
results.
“Beyond today, they have to be prepared to deal
effectively with the new generation of staff.
“I see potential in the development of middle
management as the new team that will take the
company forward in the next ten years in various
exciting new projects.”
Eye on Middle-management
Emphasising the importance of people interaction
and people management, Mark says: “The
The leadership programme developed with Rohei is
not the first time dnata Singapore has customised
training for our staff. We have done this for all
levels of our employees. For instance, we worked
with NTUC Learning Hub and the Disney institute to
establish a service-oriented programme for frontline staff in 2011.
“The middle-management demography is the
most varied in the company, encompassing new
managers as well as experienced veterans,” Joann
Goh, Assistant Vice President for Human Resource,
explains. “This presents us with the opportunity to
share a wealth of experiences amongst peers. Being
able to bridge the generational divide between
junior and senior team members is also another
skill that can be realised only through person-toperson interaction.”
The Making of Leaders
Based on an experiential rather than the traditional
lecture style, our leadership and team-building
programme offers guidance in areas such as,
engaging colleagues and airline customers in the
course of work, managing a team effectively, driving
productivity in a positive manner, and understanding
the effects of appreciation on the motivation and
drive to do a better job. It also focuses on guiding
and developing talent, appreciation of diversity
across generations in the workplace, and the
application of strategies for engaging and working
across the company to achieve business objectives.
Our participants use peer assessment and selfreflection to evaluate the way they present
themselves in front of airline customers.
All staff in middle management will attend this
course, which kicked off on 20 January. More
sessions will follow the initial two-day training.
Senior management will also be undergoing
training as a form of self-evaluation.
That Touch of Gold
Coveted award for our senior supervisor illustrates how small
gestures could help passengers.
01
02
03
04
01 _ Group discussions and brainstorming are still essential
elements of teamwork.
02-03 _ Learning how to bridge the generational gaps also ensures
that we can tap each other for our strengths. dnata is a very diverse
company that is made up of baby boomers, Gen-X, Gen-Y and
Gen-Z!
04 _ The programme takes everyone out of the usual lecture style
training. Instead, key messages are delivered through games and
investigative activities to trigger the thinking processes.
It was a golden moment for Senior Supervisor Harbans Singh s/o S. Gian
Singh as he received his Outstanding Service Staff of the Year Gold award
at the recent Annual Airport Celebration (AAC).
Early last year, Harbans assisted an Indian teenager who had lost his
passport on arriving in Singapore to visit his uncle. He not only treated the
penniless youth to dinner and found him a suitable space to rest that night,
but also rang the teen’s father in India to reassure him of his son’s safety.
On his day off the following day, Harbans personally drove the youth to the
Indian High Commission for a new passport and lent the teen the $150
for this. He then escorted the young man back to the airport to sort out
a technical glitch.
For the extraordinary length he went through to help this passenger,
Harbans received the Extra Mile Award from the Changi Airport Group
(CAG) the first quarter of last year.
BEHIND THE SCENES @ dnata
April 2016
11
Zeroing In On Safety
Risk Zero and management teams enjoy successful Mass Observation Day.
A Mass Observation Day on 19 February was
such a huge success that we will hold this safety
event regularly in future. Management members
teamed up with our Risk Zero colleagues that day to
observe flights.
“The team could see the huge impact it had on
those being observed and those around. They also
saw that the management team did walk the talk,”
says R. Jerard, a Risk Zero facilitator. Risk Zero is a
pilot programme aimed at reducing the number of
accidents and incidents drastically.
Since 2013, when the dnata Group launched our
Safety Programme network-wide, Gary Chapman,
dnata President, has made safety one of his top
concerns. The goal the Group’s safety programme
sets for everyone in the company is to be in the
top quantile for culture and safety performance
by January 2019. To achieve this,
dnata has been nurturing a safety
culture whereby everyone sees that
“Safety is not a job, but a way of
life”, Jerard explains, adding that
the Ramp & Baggage Services
Department (RBS) is part of the
Risk Zero scheme. “The members
in Risk Zero believe that Zero
is not a goal, but a choice,” he
emphasises.
After their training in October 2013, members
of the RBS Risk Zero Steering Committee set up
an Inventory of Critical Behaviour (ICB) checklist.
Data from open observations go to a data base in
Dubai that helps to identify barriers to safety. A Barrier
Removal Team, comprising management and safety
team and the Safety Committee, acts on this.
Vigilance Wins Us
Bronze at Annual Airport
Security Forum
Doing our bit for border security at Changi Airport earns
us kudos at TOPSIS Organisational Awards.
“The members in Risk Zero
believe that Zero is not a goal,
but a choice.”
- R. JERARD
Currently dnata Singapore has 32 active Observer
members, including those from Technical Services.
Another batch received training in March.
Bolstering Our
Tally of Awards
Award winners affirm our culture of
service excellence.
Two front-line colleagues, Jeffrey Soriano Arenas and
Marco Clarette Nunez, received CAG Extra Mile Outstanding
Staff awards in the 4th quarter of 2015.
Abdul Malik Bin Mohd Mustafe, AVP for
Safety &
Security, received the Bronze award on
behalf of
dnata Singapore.
Thumbs-up to the dnata operational team for being alert at the
airport. For our efforts and contribution to Singapore’s border security
programme, we achieved a Bronze standard at the recent TOPSIS
Organisational Awards.
TOPSIS, which stands for Threat-Oriented Passenger Screening
Integrated System, is a border security programme leveraging security
and non-security communities working at the nation’s checkpoints.
The annual awards programme honours companies that have
contributed to it and individuals who have made a significant number
of detections in the past year.
Our dnata colleagues working as check-in agents, baggage handlers or
pushback operators are trained to be alert and watch out for suspicious
passenger body language and baggage.
This year’s awards, presented at the TOPSIS Forum 2016 on 1 February,
had Mr. Leo Yip, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, as the
guest-of-honour.
Forum participants also attended workshops covering related topics.
Jeffrey sprang to action when a transit passenger requested his help to
retrieve important medication from his luggage that had been checked
through to Athens, his next destination. Although there was only an hour
before the scheduled flight departure for Athens, Jeffrey managed to get
the help of the baggage team to locate the passenger’s bag and bring
it to him just before take-off.
On his part, Marco immediately thought on his feet when he noticed
a passenger in the dnata lounge choking on his food. Applying basic
first aid, he calmed the passenger and seated him down comfortably
before tapping him gently on the back to relieve him of his choking. He
also alerted the Raffles Medical Group to be on standby. Although the
passenger later turned down any medical assistance, Marco ensured he
was alright by checking on his condition regularly.
CHECKING-IN @ dnata
GROUND SCENE Valuable Results
Achieved Together
Turning Diverted Flight into
Positive Experience
Appreciation from Emirates
Appreciation from
Air New Zealand
I wish to compliment dnata Singapore for
the professional and high-quality ground
handling of a diverted Emirates flight from
Singapore to Dubai. At short notice, you
provided ground staff who handled both our
Economy and Premium customers admirably
and turned a diverted flight experience into a
positive ground-handling experience.
We have very much enjoyed the relationship
with the dnata team in Singapore, not only
this past year, but during the many years you
took care of Air New Zealand business as
our preferred caterer for charter flights and
previously as CIAS. Your team is extremely
professional and we value the results we
achieve together. Your success is our success
and we appreciate your marking the one year
anniversary of our partnership.
Barry Brown
Deputy Senior Vice President,
Far East and Australasia
Emirates
Murray Hare
Inflight Catering Manager/
Operations Delivery
Air New Zealand
Service Straight From
The Heart for Passengers
Who Missed Flights
Appreciation from
Cathay Pacific Passenger
I would like to thank your Customer
Service Officer Patricia Ocampo who
displayed Service Straight From the Heart
to passengers who had missed their
flights. Passenger Benjamin Tong and his
family missed their flight to Osaka on a
different airline while Mary Hayes Brown
missed her flight to Dallas-Fort Worth.
Patricia put heart and soul into helping
all of them secure alternate flights to
their destinations.
Jocelyn Tan
Airline Representative
Cathay Pacific Airways
Spotting Undeclared
Dangerous Goods
Appreciation from Emirates
Sky Cargo
I would like to commend your acceptance
staff, Rene Pentecostes Gallarte, Operations
Assistant, who spotted hidden Dangerous
Goods that the agent had not declared.
His initiative and knowledge of cargo that
is Dangerous Goods helped us prevent the
shipment of undeclared Dangerous Goods
to Bombay.
Noryate Abd Rahman
Cargo Manager
Emirates Sky Cargo, Singapore
Compliments
From The Heart
Every Catering Order
Detail Perfect
Compliment from
Prime Aviation
Extra Care for Crew
and Passengers
Appreciation from
ACT Airlines
The crew of the M-ALTI aircraft is very pleased
with the service provided by the dnata
Private Aviation Services Team, especially
Customer Service Agent Abegail Buena.
She remembered the crew members by
name and anticipated what they needed. In
addition, the flight crew were very pleased
with the extra effort put in by the team to
ensure that every detail of their catering
order was perfect.
When I was preparing for the departure
flight of ACT Airlines in December 2015,
dnata Private Aviation Services Customer
Services Officer on duty, Shirly Yap, ensured
both passengers and crew were treated with
extra care and that services on the airside
were carried out in a timely manner and
efficiently. The customers appreciated the
complimentary WIFI on board the airside
transport made available to them. The team
is very kind. Thanks for everything.
Capt Askar Zhabatayev
Prime Aviation JSC
Capt Mehmet
ACT Airlines
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