Channel NewsAsia - Saturday, July
26
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Changi Airport registered good passenger
growth in the first half of this year.
It welcomed 18.7 million passengers during that period, a 5.4
per cent increase from the same period last year.
The numbers were released at the official opening of the
airport’s newest Terminal 3.
Six months since the terminal started operations, 5 million
passengers have passed through its gates.
The terminal currently handles more than 900 weekly scheduled
flights including Singapore Airline’s A380 jumbo jet.
Overall, Terminal 3 has a total passenger capacity of 22 million
a year. This represents about a third of Changi Airport’s total
passenger handling capacity including the Budget Terminal for
low—cost carriers.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at the official opening
of Terminal 3 on Friday, said planning for the terminal started in
the 1970s and it is this foresight that enabled Changi to expand
over the years in a systematic manner.
Today, the airport holds a special place in the hearts of
Singaporeans.
"Changi Airport is probably the only airport in the world which
students flock to during exams in search of a cool and pleasant
place to study, and I think it’s one of the few airports where
wedding couples come and take pictures," said Mr Lee.
Not everything, though, can be planned.
Mr Lee cited the growth of low—cost carriers and how Changi
reacted swiftly, building the Budget Terminal within eight
months.
The move has paid off. Low—cost carriers contributed some 11.5
per cent of passenger traffic at Changi Airport and 47 per cent of
its net growth in traffic.
Terminal 3 was 30 years in the making and already plans are
underway for a fourth airport terminal in Singapore.
Prime Minister Lee said that moving ahead, Changi Airport needs
to stay nimble and focused to face challenges like rising fuel cost
for airlines and competition from other airports.
Part of the strategy is the corporatisation of Changi Airport
and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Mr Lee said
this is a major step forward to enable Changi to react faster to
new needs.
He also paid tribute to the staff, in what could be seen as a
move to allay fears of possible layoffs as a result of the
corporatisation exercise.
Mr Lee said: "We will not forget the importance of the people
who make Changi Airport work so well. It’s not the bricks and
mortar, it is not the lights or the architecture, it’s the people,
the team.
"We have a very special team and we will do our utmost to take
good care of them, both during and after the corporatisation
process."
The Transport Ministry will announce details of the
corporatisation exercise "soon", said Prime Minister Lee. —
CNA/ir