SmartSea and parent company SITA have deployed what is claimed to be Asia Pacific’s first interoperable automated ferry and cruise passenger processing system at Singapore Cruise Centre’s (SCC) Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
The new system enables self-service check-in, bag drop and automated boarding for all ferry passengers through a single platform, streamlining passenger handling and aligning processes more closely with those used in air travel.
The same technology will also be introduced at the new Integrated Ferry and Cruise Terminal at HarbourFront due to open in mid-2026, the company said.
The deployment combines SmartSea and SITA’s self-service kiosks, bag drops and self-boarding gates with SITA’s Flex-as-a-Service platform, and is expected to lead to a reduction of 20% in processing times for passengers and baggage.
The project marks the first live implementation of SITA’s Flex-as-a-Service system, an API-based platform that enables operators to connect systems and applications. Originally developed for airports, Flex is now being extended to maritime operations.
“This new technology represents a major step forward in improving the level of experience for our passengers,” said Lee Siew Kit, Vice President (Technology and IT) at Singapore Cruise Centre.
“The deployment of automated, interoperable systems will greatly support our growing traffic and position Singapore as a leader in seamless and eventually contactless ferry and cruise travel.”
