Airlines at Changi Airport will get all the support they need to encourage more travellers to opt for self-service check-in options. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has set up a $2 million-fund to help carriers defray some of the costs involved in tapping into new technology.

This is on top of support from Changi Airport Group which will pay for new do-it-yourself check-in machines that can also print boarding passes and luggage tags. The CAAS initiative was announced by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew at an industry event at Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday.

Mr Lui added that another $10 million has been set aside to fund new ideas to improve the process of loading baggage onto single-aisle planes. The bags are stored in containers that are directly loaded onto big planes, but for smaller aircraft, each bag has to be manually loaded.

Speaking to about 400 airline and other guests, Mr Lui stressed the importance of the aviation industry to Singapore. As the country continues to transform in the face of global challenges and domestic constraints, the aviation sector must keep pace, he said. "To do so, we need to keenly address the manpower, land and air traffic management constraints facing the aviation sector," he said, pointing out that a key strategy is the push on productivity.