Singapore Changi Airport

SINGAPORE CHANGI AIRPORT

The air transport industry has seen rapid growth and is a driving force towards the development of civil aviation and airport operations in Singapore since the early 1900s. Over these years, Singapore saw the development of three airports, namely Seletar Airport, Kallang Airport and Paya Lebar Airport, to cater to the unprecedented demand for air transport/travel.

Experiencing the strain in handling four million passengers per year, the Singapore government made a decision in 1975 to build a brand new airport at Changi to replace Paya Lebar Airport. Today, Changi Airport is served by more than 80 airlines flying to more than 180 cities in over 57 countries.

Location
Spanning an area of 1,300 hectares, Singapore Changi Airport is located at the eastern tip of Singapore, some 20 kilometres from the city centre. Located along the coastal line of the island, there is minimal noise pollution as flight paths are generally over the sea.

Development of Changi Airport
More than half of Changi Airport’s total land was reclaimed from the sea. To make way for the construction of Changi Airport in 1975, almost 200 hectares of swamp land was cleared. In addition, 12 million cubic metres of earth from nearby hills was removed to fill the swampy ground. Reclamation from the seabed was done using seven cutter-suction dredges round the clock. The sand mixed with water was pumped direct from the dredging sites to the reclamation area. The job was completed within 29 months and more than 40 million cubic metres of sand was used from the seabed.

The Phase I development of Changi Airport included the completion of a passenger terminal building (Terminal 1), a runway, 45 aircraft parking bays, a maintenance hangar, a fire station, workshops and administrative offices, an airfreight complex, two cargo agents buildings, in-flight catering kitchens and an 80-metre high control tower.

When Phase I was completed in 1981, Phase II development started, comprising a second runway, taxiways, 23 aircraft parking bays, a second fire station and a third cargo agents building.

The construction of a second passenger terminal building (Terminal 2) followed in 1986, which included the associated roadways, two multi-storey carparks, a people mover system (Changi Skytrain) and a baggage transfer system between the two terminals.

Passenger Terminal Building

Terminal 1
Terminal 1 commenced operations on 1 July 1981 and was officially opened on 29 December 1981. It operates independently from Terminal 2, handling the flow of arriving, departing and transit passengers on international and regional flights.

The structure of Terminal 1 follows the centralised terminal concept consisting of a main five-storey block connected to four finger piers.

Terminal 1 has undergone one major refurbishment since its opening in 1981. Costing S$170 million and completed in 1995, the refurbishment gave Terminal 1 more capacity, a more modern appearance and a wider range of functional improvements.

Expansion works for Terminal 1 also began in December 1995 with the extension of two of the finger piers. Completed in December 1999, the extension provided an additional 14 aerobridge gates, bringing the total number of aerobridge gates in Terminal 1 to 33.

Following the completion of the Terminal 1 pier extension, a $20 million upgrading of the departure and arrival halls of Terminal 1 was completed in August 2002. All check-in counters in Terminal 1 have been replaced with newly designed check-in counters, with Plasma screens above the counters, which are more customer-friendly. The arrival hall for greeters was expanded and the taxi queue area air-conditioned.

Terminal 1 has an annual handling capacity of 21 million passengers per annum.

Terminal 2
Terminal 2 commenced operations on 22 November 1990 and was officially opened on 1 June 1991. Terminal 2 operates independently from Terminal 1, serving mostly Singapore's two national carriers namely Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary, SilkAir.

The structure of the building follows a centralised terminal concept, concentrating facilities and services in the main complex of the six-storey building. A terraced multi-level ceiling is designed to allow natural light to filter in, giving the Departure Hall a warm and cozy ambience.

In July 1996, two additional finger piers at Terminal 2 were officially opened. Costing $330 million, the expansion project involved the construction of the two finger piers to provide an additional 22 aerobridges, bringing the total number of aerobridge gates in Terminal 2 to 35.

In 2003, CAAS embarked on a S$240 million project to upgrade Terminal 2. The major improvements include extending the transit area to provide more space for shop concession, passenger lounges and other amenities to cater for higher transfer traffic, and providing a lively and cheerful building interior.

Terminal 2 has an annual handling capacity of 23 million passengers per annum.

Terminal 3
The S$1.75 billion Terminal 3 is scheduled to commence flight operations on 9 January 2008.

Terminal 3 has an annual passenger handling capacity of 22 million passengers, bringing the total handling capacity of Changi Airport to 70 million passengers per annum. Terminal 3 will add another 28 aerobridge gates to Changi Airport, with eight designed to handle the new generation of large aircraft, the Airbus 380. Guided by the principles of clarity, natural lighting, external views and maintainability, CAAS is incorporating many unique features into the design of Terminal 3.

Its flat and intriguing roof, for example, consists of skylights that allow natural light into the terminal building. The use of louvres suspended above and below the skylights limits the amount of direct sunlight into the building while filling Terminal 3 with diffused, ambient light during the day. At night, artificial light bounces off the ceiling to create a soothing and comfortable environment for passengers.

An Automated People Mover System that connects Terminals 1, 2 and 3 facilitates convenient and seamless transfers for passengers making inter-terminal flight connections. Costing S$142 million, it comprises ten train services linking the three terminals through 6.5 kilometres of elevated train tracks. There will be two stations each in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and three stations in Terminal 3, each with plasma TV displays to inform passengers of the arrival time of the next train.

Terminal 3 will also have an S$121 million state-of-the-art baggage handling system that will include high-speed inter-terminal baggage transfer system and an automated early bag storage facility.

Low Cost Terminal
Singapore has built a Budget Terminal to cater to the needs of low cost carriers. Built at the cost of S$45 million, the 25,000 square metres Budget Terminal comprises two adjacent single-storey buildings for departure and arrival connected via link ways. This design facilitates seamless passenger flow in the single storey building, as arrival and departure procedures will be processed in separate blocks. Works on the terminal began in 2005, and were completed in January 2006.

Travelling To and From the Airport
Well-connected by two major expressways, the East Coast Parkway and Pan Island Expressway, passengers and visitors to the airport will be able to reach the other parts of Singapore with much ease and convenience. Coupled with Singapore's extensive and free flowing road network system, the city is almost a doorstep away from the airport with a mere 20 minutes drive. The ground access to and from Changi Airport was further enhanced with the extension of the island-wide rail network system (Mass Rapid Transit) to Changi Airport in early 2002.

Integrated Coordination Among All Airport Agencies
Changi Airport is committed to serve the needs of our passengers with the most advanced facilities and world class services. The strong and cohesive working relationship among the airport agencies - the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, the Singapore Customs, Airport Police, ground-handling agents, contractors and concessionaires, helps Changi Airport transform into a masterpiece.

Awards and Accolades
Changi Airport has achieved a consistent record of accolades. These successes have been due, in no small measure, to the foresight of those guiding the development of civil aviation in Singapore, to the relentless pursuit of a liberal air policy to open up Singapore to the rest of the world and to the emphasis on competitiveness, efficiency and service.

Since commencing operations on 1 July 1981, Singapore Changi Airport has never failed to receive a deficiency-free rating by the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) for its safe and efficient air traffic services.

Please kindly log onto www.changiairport.com.sg for more information

Edited by Eugene Tang. Photos Courtesy of CAAS. All Rights Reserved.