The aviation industry may have taken a severe blow due to the pandemic, but this also means it is poised to make a huge comeback.

In spite of the challenging business climate, Changi Airport Group (CAG) remains steadfast in their search for promising talents to groom and grow in its many businesses.

With the future of the aviation sector shaped by these talents of today, the group spares no expense in offering a holistic education through a scholarship and thereafter a diverse and dynamic career at the airport after graduation. Thus, the CAG Scholarship remains a reputable and desirable option for any potential scholar who makes the cut.

Low Yi Hui is one of those awarded the coveted CAG Mid-Term scholarship for her outstanding performance during CAG’s 10-week Talent Internship Programme. CAG offered her extensive support, sponsoring her final year of undergraduate studies at Nanyang Technological University and another year abroad to pursue a Master of Philosophy in Management at University of Cambridge.

But beyond academics, what does CAG have to offer its scholars? She filled us in.

How did you get interested in your current field?

During my internship with CAG, I had the chance to understand the airport business and saw first-hand the work that goes behind the running of the world’s best airport. I wanted to be part of this passionate, driven and innovative team to take on the challenge to continue our mission to deliver the world-class Changi experience, and make a difference in our passengers’ journey.

You studied all the way till a Master of Philosophy in Management (Mphil). What was your biggest takeaway during your university days?

Being adaptable, and always be prepared to learn and relearn. The environment around us will continue to evolve so we need to keep adapting and learning new ways to learn better to keep up with the changing conditions. This allows us to be ready when presented with opportunities.

We hear a lot about how much CAG supports its scholars. Was this the case with you as well?

Very much so! The company was supportive in my choice of school and post-graduate programme. During the process, they took time to understand why I made these choices, encouraged me to pursue my programme of choice and were supportive in helping me prepare for my move to the UK.

Low Yi Hui

Your current designation is Assistant Manager, Departure Experience, Airport Operations Management. What exactly does that entail?

I am an airline account manager for six airlines operating at Changi and manage other projects involving capacity and planning, digitalising operations management and planning, as well as change management.

A key area of my work is leveraging on the vast amount of data that an airport has to study and identify relevant trends and data, especially new trends and travel behaviours that have arisen due to the pandemic. From there, I create live dashboards with visualisation that users can easily access and understand for day-to-day operation decision-making and operation monitoring.

At first glance, your work seems far removed from your studies. How did you apply what you have learnt in school to your current work?

During the Mphil, I completed courses on Quantitative Techniques for Management, Operations Management and Strategy. These learnings are directly applicable to my day-to-day work in airport operations management as well as capacity and planning work.

And what is the work culture in CAG like?

Everyone in the company is mission-focused in providing a world-class experience to our passengers. There is a strong culture of excellence, accompanied with pride and passion to serve. Senior leaders in the companies readily impart knowledge and experience, and peers readily lend their hands. The camaraderie makes work enjoyable, and acts as a strong support structure that propels us to tackle challenges courageously and inspire us to do better.

For those considering this scholarship, what possibilities are there for people working at CAG?

The company has many diverse functions to keep Changi Airport running 24/7, ranging from airport operations to retail management to airline market development. There are many different roles within the company that individuals may choose to explore and are given opportunities to do so.

Yi Hui is the envy of all of us who are home-bound for now. She has had the opportunity to study (both full-term and on short-term exchange programmes) in six different universities across four countries - China, Singapore, Luxembourg and UK (before COVID-19).

Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring scholars looking to join CAG?

Be adaptable, agile and stay curious. Our environment is fast-paced, and work is always evolving. In light of the impact of the pandemic on the aviation industry, we must stay agile, constantly innovate and adapt to the changing environment so that we can be ready to welcome travellers again when the situation permits.