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Avid travellers may remember the iconic flight information flip board previously located at Changi Airport's Terminal 2 Departure Hall.

It was later announced in 2020 that the flight information display flip boards, a.k.a Solari boards, would be removed and replaced by electronic information boards from February that year, as part of the terminal's upgrading and expansion works.

In an Apr. 28, 2023 update on its Facebook page, Changi Airport shared that one of the iconic analogue boards will be coming out of "retirement", and making a physical appearance at the National Museum of Singapore.

The flip board will be part of a new exhibition at the museum, launching in May 2023, called "Now Boarding: Experiencing Singapore through Travel, 1800 - 2000s".

From May 27 to Nov. 19

According to the National Museum of Singapore, the board will be installed at the museum's rotunda ahead of the upcoming exhibition, which is set to run from May 27 to Nov. 19.

This is the first time that the Solari board will be on public display at the museum since it was decommissioned in 2020.

According to a Mar. 2020 National Heritage Board (NHB) press release, one of the two flip boards had previously been donated to form part of Singapore's National Collection at NHB’s Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC), while the other was retired.

In its behind-the-scenes post on Apr. 28, Changi Airport shared a preview of the iconic flip board being installed by workers, letter by letter, at the National Museum of Singapore.

The travel-themed exhibition will showcase Singapore’s rich history from the 1800s to the 2000s, told through the perspective of travellers who arrived on our shores, added the National Museum of Singapore.

Beyond the analogue flip board, the exhibition will also feature a set of Singapore Airlines’ A380 Suites Cabin seat, and other specially curated artefacts that further explore Singapore's identity through the lens of travel.

Admission to the exhibition will be free for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs).

Background on analogue flip boards

Originally located between check-in rows 9 and 10 of Changi Airport Terminal 2's Departure Hall, the analogue flip boards have marked several key moments for Singapore over the years.

Most notably, on Aug. 15, 2016, the flip boards were used to welcome swimmer Joseph Schooling home after his historic gold medal victory at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Each flip board comprises one large display board, 48 backboard panels, more than 50 metal casings, and 2,052 capsules of individual letters and numbers.

When pieced together, one flip board measures 4.5m (height) x 15m (length) x 0.3m (width).

Changi Airport Group had previously said that the analogue flip boards were decommissioned due to increasing difficulties faced in sourcing for parts and challenges in maintenance.

Details of exhibition

Address: National Museum of Singapore, Exhibition Gallery, Basement Level

Date: May 27 to Nov. 19, 2023

Time: 10am-7pm daily (last admission 6.30pm)

Admission fee: Free for Singaporeans and PRs

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Top images via Changi Airport Facebook