New Changi Airport can handle 135m passengers SINGAPORE — With air travel in Asia Pacific set to grow at a breakneck pace over the next two decades, the mega expansion of Changi Airport will enable it to handle up to 135 million passengers every year by the mid-2020s. BY WOO SIAN BOON - 31 AUGUST SINGAPORE — With air travel in Asia Pacific set to grow at a breakneck pace over the next two decades, the mega expansion of Changi Airport will enable it to handle up to 135 million passengers every year by the mid-2020s. The centrepiece of the expansion plans is a new Terminal 5, which will be built on 1,080 hectares of reclaimed land in Changi East. The stand-alone facility will be “one of the largest terminals in the world”, the Changi Airport Steering Committee said yesterday as it unveiled the details of the expansion, which was first announced during the National Day Rally. The airport currently has three terminals, two runways and a total passenger handling capacity of 66 million passengers per annum. By around 2020, it will have four terminals and three runways with a total capacity of 85 million passengers per annum. Terminal 5, when it is up by the mid-2020s, alone will be able to handle 50 million passengers per year and planning provisions have been made for it to be expanded further if necessary. A report published last year projected that passenger volumes in the Asia-Pacific region, driven by the growing middle class in emerging economies, will grow more than three-fold to hit about five billion in 2031 — about the size of the Europe and North America markets combined. Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo, who chairs the steering committee, reiterated that expansion of Changi Airport was “not a numbers game”. “We are not in it just so we can call ourselves the largest terminal in the world. We are looking at it from a qualitative standpoint, how can we deliver a better airport experience, and as it turns out, we think that this is the scale that will enable us to bring about that difference,” she said. Other airports around the world are also expanding rapidly. Once fully completed, Dubai’s World Central Airport will be of a similar scale to the expanded Changi Airport. Airports in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok are also planning to handle 100 million passengers annually. “Super-connectivity” is key to maintaining Singapore’s position as an air hub, Mrs Teo said. “The more cities that we are linked to, the more frequent the flights, and the more efficient the transfers, the greater the convenience that we can offer the passengers and the better we are as an air hub.” Terminal 5 will be linked to the other terminals via an underground train system. It will also boast amenities such as hotels, events spaces and a business office park. Land has also been set aside for facilities for airfreight and air express operators, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul activities. The new terminal will be connected to the MRT network. Details will be released after engineering studies are completed. Bus services to the airport will be reviewed and ramped up, while road infrastructures will also be improved. The planners are looking at two concept plans for Terminal 5’s layout — one allowing more efficient movement of aircraft and the other offering the option of a single building, which eliminates the need for passengers to take a shuttle train service to get around. The layout will be finalised in the first half of next year. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will be consulting stakeholders such as airlines, ground handlers and air cargo operators over the next two months. The ambitious project will require careful planning, stressed Mrs Teo, given its scale and long-term nature. The committee also announced details on Changi Airport’s third runway: To be shared with the military, planning and preparatory work is currently underway to extend its length from 2.75km to 4km to handle larger passenger aircraft. New facilities such as navigation aids, airfield lighting systems, a fire-station and almost 40km of new taxiways will also be built. To connect the runway and Terminal 5 to the existing airport, the 6km-long Changi Coast Road will be diverted 1.8km further east. Work is expected to start in the second half of next year. A new road and a park connector will be built on reclaimed land along the eastern coastline. On whether Changi Airport will be able to handle the expected rise in air travel demand in the meantime, Director-General of CAAS Yap Ong Heng said that the capacity of the two existing runways will be gradually increased. The utilisation of the runways during non-peak hours will also be maximised. The CAAS had said last year — following a study it had commissioned — that the airport would be able to handle more passengers through the use of technology. But even as Changi Airport embarks on its expansion plans, some analysts cautioned that it cannot take its hub status for granted. Aviation consultant Prithpal Singh noted the greater competition from airports in the region and technological advancements, including bigger aircraft which can fly direct routes without the need for transfers. “You must also not forget the advent of the high-speed train. That’s going to make a big difference,” he said.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 00:10:01 +0000
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