changi airport functions very well and is very pleasant for passengers - most people have to agree with that, but i still think soemthing should be done to improve what it looks like from outside.. haha.. it gives quite a bad impression when you're landing...

Originally posted by heirloom
it gives quite a bad impression when you're landing...

bad impression? how so?

well for me at least.. from the plane.. you look down and its so ugly... but it's fine once you get into the terminal :)

Very well explained there, raffi! ;)

I have always wondered....when HK was still using Kai Tak, how was it assessed? When KL was using Subang? And Seoul using Kimpo? It seems like all of them catapulted to the league of best airports once the new buildings opened, and the natural tendency was to attribute the improvements to the new airports themselves?

When the chance arises to build a new airport from the ground up, will not the airport planners aim to maximise the bigger space available to them? Will the extra space allow for better planning of human traffic flow? Provision of more shops and amenities? More spacious halls throughout the airport? Excellent and efficient services from services and support staff? Good transportational links to the city, and between terminals if need be?

But come to think of it...if you take an existing airport, irregardless of the design of its outer shell, is it possible to inject all of them above factors within it as well? If it is possible, does it then reduce the "wow" factor of newer airports? If not, then are older airports destined to be inferior to the new ones?

erm ok..although you dont really get much chance to see the airport until just before the landing..and by then I'm usually too relieved to be home. What I do admire are the palm trees though:cheers:

Originally posted by RafflesCity

erm ok..although you dont really get much chance to see the airport until just before the landing..and by then I'm usually too relieved to be home. What I do admire are the palm trees though:cheers: And hearing the pilot on the SIA plane saying ""To all Singaporeans and PRs, welcome home"? ;)

It is probably a phase which means nothing to everyone else, but so us Singaporeans with a "small country" mentality, it never fails to invoke a sense of awe and pride that something even remotely Singaporean has just flown thousands of kilometres over entire oceans, but still finding its way back onto an island no bigger then 3/4 the size of NYC.....:)

I wonder what those Singaporeans actually see when they stare at that bland roof of Changi seconds before touchdown! And by virtue of Changi's continued ability to fascinate and satisfy millions of travellers over 20 long years, I wonder too, what the exterior blandness means to the world's travellers who converge on Changi all these time! :colgate:

as i mentioned earlier... despite all that is good about changi airport, a first-timer in sg will have a negative impression due to bland exterior (maybe negative impression will be negated by nice trees :))... i think something should really be done to update changi's exterior... umm like the T2 renovation... that's a step in the right direction..

Originally posted by heirloom

as i mentioned earlier... despite all that is good about changi airport, a first-timer in sg will have a negative impression due to bland exterior (maybe negative impression will be negated by nice trees :))... i think something should really be done to update changi's exterior... umm like the T2 renovation... that's a step in the right direction.. If "a bit of money" spent helps to pacify and win more people over to the Changi cause, then why not? :D Notice that so far, we are not saying Changi's exterior architecture should stay intact, but rather, explaining how it got this far despite the perceived handicap in the architectural department? :colgate:

oh ummm yes haha

Originally posted by huaiwei

I wonder what those Singaporeans actually see when they stare at that bland roof of Changi seconds before touchdown! And by virtue of Changi's continued ability to fascinate and satisfy millions of travellers over 20 long years, I wonder too, what the exterior blandness means to the world's travellers who converge on Changi all these time! :colgate:

For me, I always look out for the familiar control tower, it is a very reassuring landmark and you cant help but be proud of Changi's status (despite the bland terminal exterior). Another impressive thing is to see the row of SIA planes with their livery and the size of T2 is quite astounding. I also always hope that it isnt too hot and that it will be a cloudy day.

Oh yah..whats really impressive is if you're taking the expressway from the city to the airport. You are surrounded on both sides by lofty trees and bougainvilleas in the middle, with the familiar control tower looming up in the distance.

:cheers:

what i like most is landing in the morning around 7 am or something and i step out of the building and get my first breath of sg climate... ahhh so nice and familiar... the sounds and wetness of the air... and the colours also.. it feels like my heartrate goes down a bit hehe (more relaxeD)

That seems to be a rather unusual phenomenon, for I would have tot that stress is in the air all over this place?? :D

A little adventure in the airport? :D

Chinese workers end airport stand-off

They camp out in transit area in bid to get money they claim is owed; firm to reinstate work permits

By Ben Nadarajan

FIVE Chinese nationals flew into Singapore without valid documents last Thursday, in a desperate bid to get compensation from a company here which recently terminated their work permits. They belong to a group of 25 workers of Sun Huan Construction, who had returned to China for the Chinese New Year early last month.

They were back here earlier this month, but could not clear airport immigration because their work permits were no longer valid. As a result, they flew back to China. Last week, five of them returned here to ask Sun Huan for $10,000 for each worker.

They claimed to have paid Sun Huan $12,000 when they arrived to work here in February 2001. Of this, they claimed $7,000 was a deposit it promised to repay them at the end of their contract this December.

But a Sun Huan spokesman said the workers' work permits were cancelled because they had 'disappeared'. He said they did not get permission from the company before flying home - a claim which the workers denied. One of the five, Mr Chen Tian Ping, 38, said the company kept their passports and they could only leave Singapore with its permission. Sun Huan also claimed that despite repeated warnings, the workers had been caught working at other construction sites.

Last Thursday, two of the five were stopped by immigration officers as they tried to leave the airport without a social visit pass or work permit. They were sent home. The other three spent four days at Changi Airport's transit area, making call after call to their company, as well as the Manpower Ministry (MOM) and the Chinese Embassy. During this time, they slept on rows of chairs in Terminal 1.

On Monday, two MOM officers and another two Sun Huan employees turned up to hear them out. Sun Huan offered to pay $1,000 to each worker, help them close their bank accounts and remit any money in these to them. The offer applied only to the five who had made their way here.

In a letter to MOM, it added the offer should 'not be used as a reference on any further case'. The offer was rejected. Said Mr Chen: 'Most of the workers come from poor families and we need the money. We won't leave here until we get what we came for.'

A breakthrough came yesterday when both sides agreed that all the 25 workers' work permits would be re-instated and they can return to work here. The workers flew home last night and hope to be back next month. Mr Chen said: 'We are happy. At least all of us will have our jobs back.'

well yeah if you're studying... but otherwise... i find it very relaxed... i'm never on time (in singapore)... it's ok because my friends never are too ;) and umm before i left for perth i had about 9 months holiday in sg....that was absolutely wonderfulll i'd give alot to experience that again.. relaxed because it feels like home and i know i can go back to more pampered ways in sg :D:D:D:D

Originally posted by heirloom

well yeah if you're studying... but otherwise... i find it very relaxed... i'm never on time (in singapore)... it's ok because my friends never are too ;) and umm before i left for perth i had about 9 months holiday in sg....that was absolutely wonderfulll i'd give alot to experience that again.. relaxed because it feels like home and i know i can go back to more pampered ways in sg :D:D:D:D

ahahaha! Thats why I like to come back for holidays!:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: Relax when everyone else has to go to sch/work :D

How many months holidays do you get from Perth?

You guys are just WIERD :weird: :D

Most people talk about leaving this island to escape somewhere to relax, and it seems to be the complete opposite for the two of u? Hmm...Maybe it feels entirely different when one have to stay away from home for a long time?

3 march 2004


DOES the emergence of cut-throat competition from low cost carriers (LCCs) in the region mean that governments will have to choose between airports and their national carriers?

Will the deregulation sweeping across the skies force governments to choose between protecting their airlines or allowing free access to their airports? Several key industry experts think the two objectives are contradictory and mutually exclusive. Mo Garfinkle of global aviation consultancy firm GCW Consulting sees LCCs forcing the realignment of traditional airport hub-spoke arrangements around the continent. According to Mr Garfinkle, LCCs will boost traffic, tourism, business activity, infrastructure building activity and airport revenues. But they will also push down yields and force painful restructurings in the largely government-owned network carriers around the region.

Tony Wheelens, the former Australian transport chiefand now a senior associate of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, puts it more bluntly. He says governments will no longer be able to equate the national interest with that of the national airline. In short, the message is this: governments will sooner or later have to put aside their nationalistic feelings over their flag carriers and look instead at boosting the payback from the sunk costs in airport infrastructure. So should governments sacrifice their national carriers at the altar of 'broader national interests'?

Not if the Singapore experience is any guide. The emergence of Changi as a dominant regional air hub has been due, in no small measure, to the success of Singapore Airlines. To lure a passenger on intercontinental flights between two points to stopover at Changi, SIA adopted a strategy of pricing its tickets lower than those of rivals offering direct point-to-point flights.

As its former chief executive Cheong Choong Kong pointed out, to lure passengers from Hong Kong to fly via Singapore to London, SIA had to price its ticket significantly below what Cathay Pacific charged. The result: Changi became a giant regional hub, with spokes radiating far and wide.

The more extensive this network, the more effective the hub. The more active the hub, the greater the volume of traffic for SIA. But changes sweeping across the industry strain this symbiotic relationship. Asia presents a huge market for budget carriers, especially for regional short-haul travel. Many holiday makers don't mind hopping on ashort-haul budget flight if it saves them money to spend at attractive holiday destinations. Catering to them would dilute the Changi-SIA linkage. Then, there is the challenge posed to Changi by new-generation long-haul aircraft. The prospect of being bypassed by aircraft such as the A340-500 worries many airport operators. Already, Emirates is bypassing Singapore en route to Australia.

Two classes of players

But these changes can cut both ways for both Changi and SIA. The consolidation and global alliances sweeping across the aviation market will throw up two classes of players, each servicing a distinct sector. One will be global 'mega carriers' servicing the long-haul or intercontinental routes. SIA, with its record-breaking non-stop trans-Pacific flights to the US using its A340-500 aircraft, is first off the mark in this category. And feeding passengers to the mega carriers' networks will be the LCCs serving regional short-haul routes. If this trend plays itself out to its full potential, the outlook for both Changi and SIA remains good.

Yes, Changi will face enormous competition from the likes of KL International Airport, Bangkok's Don Muang and Hong Kong's HKIA, just as SIA faces competition in the skies. But at the end of the day, Changi's dominance as a hub and SIA's top-league ranking will depend on factors such as cost competitiveness, efficiency, innovativeness and quality of service. Their success need not be mutually exclusive.

i'm a bit different.... when i come back i'd rather everyone have holidays... so ppl can keep me occupied... but most importantly i want to go back to more pampered ways... i dont want to wash dishes, and i want to choose whwatever food i want and not eat whatever food i dont want. and i want haagen dazs! and i want the shops.... shops wouldnt be a reason for me to come back if i were in london... actually maybe cos singapore might have smaller sizes...

my holidays are two weeks long :/

Changi rocks !

I have seen more modern-looking Airports (KLIA, HK, ...) but I've never seen anything as cozy and comfortable as Changi.

Too bad about the new carpet however, real ugly :D

Cozy coz its relatively empty I think.
Last time I was there in the afternoon, and the terminals deserted.

The lighting gives me a dizzy feeling.

I think there is too much overstatement here

Originally posted by mathewlau

Cozy coz its relatively empty I think.
Last time I was there in the afternoon, and the terminals deserted.

The lighting gives me a dizzy feeling.

I think there is too much overstatement here An empty building wont have given a "cozy" feeling, I would think, especially when its all metallic and cold. Changi stands out due to its interior decor, which invovles the use of lush greenery, an aspect noted and much appreciated by many travellors. The avoidance of building huge halls with high ceilings also helps in this regard.

Changi's terminals are usually relatively empty, if you have never realised. In fact, that has always been the hallmark of this airport since it opened. This is partly because the airport development here have a policy of always building far beyond current passengers handled to avoid the congestion familiar to most airports, even in the most optimistic periods of aviation growth.

For eg, Terminal one was built in 1981 with a capacity for 21 million passengers a year, when air traffic at the old Paya Lebar Airport was less then half of that. And when Terminal 2 was opened in 1990 with an additional 23 million capacity, Terminal 1 was still handling far less then its max capacity of 21 million.

In the year 2002, Changi handled 28,979,344 passengers, even thou the total capacity is 44 million. Yet, they have started construction of Terminal 3, due to be completed in 2007-2008, and bringing the total capacity to 64 million!

I dont know wats wrong with the lighting....first time I have ever heard someone mentioning it. Maybe the plants need their light for healthy growth, thats why? :D

yes i notice the airport seems to try to maintain a 20 million pax buffer... that's good :) no one likes crowded / slow airports

If you travel frequently, then you'll scream for joy when you arrive at the immigration and there is no troublesome queue. Being spacious is also good for the mind. This is always the case at Changi. (and yes, the departure area is cozy with carpetting, plants and Japanese fountains)

I speak from personal experience. Each time I arrive at Heathrow T3, there are other jumbo flights landing from various places and the arrival hall just fills up with long snaking lines at immigration. A bigger terminal with appropriate infrastructure would be the solution.

I would pick the former over the latter.

.

Originally posted by mathewlau

I am not sure if you understand what I am saying
But from a Chinese view, we like "People Air" (translate it literally)
Thats why on our first visit to Changi years back, I was surprised to see no ppl around

Japanese gardens, fountains etc lots of airports have these inside PAX terminals. In HKIA for example there are gardens as well as palm trees that are two floors high at least.

Rather I think something that Singapore has done really good is the amenities, the showers, the massaging etc

Long lines may be troublesome, but a 5 minute wait doesnt kill



What differentiates an airport from another to a great extent is the architecture, a very important feature

hrm... i wouldn't really describe it as 'no people around' after all it's using nearly 3 quarters of its capacity..

as for gardens - they are all over the airport! (http://www.changi.airport.com.sg/changi/level2_with_links.jsp;jsessionid=AJitKBjMrgDADr2243M2mvaZoGcgQi8thm6UZWQXUHxSdZGMDvp0!-1786464466!-1062718459!7005!8005?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023741&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181065&bmUID=1078551213368)

bamboo garden, cactus garden, heliconia garden, koi pond, orchid garden, fern garden, and sunflower garden. as for greenery within the terminal, i would say there's sufficient of it to make an impression. there'll be much more in the new terimanl because of the roof that allows natural light to come in.

http://www.oebb-lokschuppen.de/Singapore_Bilder/204_airport.jpg


however, i do agree that changi really really needs an update architecturally to be on equal footing with new airports designwise. but do be a little forgiving - changi airport is more than 20 years old after all..

How much does a massage cost?

half hour head and shoulder massage would be SGD38... about USD22?

Tiger Airways in talks over budget terminal

23 March 2004

PLANS for a terminal for budget airlines are firming up, with the Transport Ministry in serious talks with Tiger Airways to set up such a base.

Speaking to reporters at a conference, Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said yesterday: 'We're confirming the details with them. Once they're satisfied it meets their needs and sign on the dotted line, we'll proceed with the construction.'

Mr Yeo said Tiger Airways, backed by Singapore Airlines and the people who set up successful Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair, was the only one among the three budget airlines eyeing the Singapore market to show interest in having such a terminal. The other two are Valuair, set up by SIA veteran Lim Chin Beng and which is poised to take off in May, and Malaysia's AirAsia.

Mr Yeo said that it does not matter even if only one airline wants the terminal - the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will still build it. It will also foot the bill, which analysts have estimated at between $20 million and $30 million.

Asked about Australian newspaper reports that Qantas was given the nod to operate a budget airline here 10 years ago, Mr Yeo said: 'No, they don't have the licence at the present moment.' He did not elaborate but said that any new airline wanting to set up here must be at least 51 per cent owned by Singaporeans.

Qantas declined to comment on its licence status. It had earlier refused to say anything on market talk that it is interested in partnering AirAsia.

AirAsia's chief executive Tony Fernandez denied he has any deal with the Australian carrier. 'We have our Singapore partner and we're not looking for any more partners,' he told The Straits Times. It is not known who its partner is.

AirAsia also said yesterday that it was keen to make use of the budget terminal when ready. It had applied for a licence to operate out of Singapore a month ago. Such licences take six to nine months to process.

Mr Yeo, who was speaking on the sidelines of an international chemical and oil pollution conference, also talked about the Government's plan to have marshals on MRT trains to deal with the terrorist threat.

The two train operators here have already been briefed about tightening security, he said. 'This is something that has to be done by the operators...They're there every day, they know what they have to do.'

hrmm this is weird... i thought the famed prudence of the govt would not allow the construction of a terminal with only one airline interested... oh well the cost is comparatively insignificant.

If the terminal is small, and the airline is big, why not? ;) Maybe Terminal 3 will only be used by SIA for eg?? Hahahahaa :D

ooh ok... any plans on where the budget terminal is located?

Originally posted by heirloom

ooh ok... any plans on where the budget terminal is located? If I recall correctly...its beside Terminal 2?

what's the connectivity like between the budget terminal and the main terminals?

Originally posted by heirloom

what's the connectivity like between the budget terminal and the main terminals? Wah....u ask as thou the plans are already out??

ohoh ... i wouldnt know mar... so blur ..

Tuesday March 23, 7:05 PM
Singapore's Changi Moves Ahead With Budget Air Terminal


SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Singapore Changi Airport is moving ahead with plans to build a terminal for low cost carriers, or LCCs, even as it upgrades facilities to accommodate the world's biggest commercial airplane.

To stay on top of the competition, the airport is also moving overseas and has also teamed up with a local partner in bidding to manage India's Mumbai and Delhi airports.

Changi has been facing growing competition from airports in the region, which are expanding to cater to future air traffic growth. Thailand's Bangkok, for example, will open a new international airport in 2005, with a capacity to handle 45 million passengers.

Changi's passenger traffic numbers, which fell 14.9% in 2003 to 24.7 million due to the SARS outbreak, has been recovering and is expected to grow to about 32 million in the next few years.

The Singapore Transport Ministry confirmed that it was in "serious talks" with Singapore Airlines Ltd. (S55.SG) LCC affiliate Tiger Airways to set up the budget airline terminal.

"We're confirming the details with them (Tiger Airways). Once they are satisfied it meets their needs and sign on the dotted line, we'll proceed with the construction," Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said earlier.

Yeo added that the government will build the terminal, estimated by analysts to cost between S$20 million to S$30 million (US$1=S$1.6891), even if only one airline was interested.

Established Malaysian LCC, AirAsia, has indicated that it will be keen to use the new terminal while Singapore-based ValuAir, which is poised to start flying in May, intends to use existing facilities at Changi.

However, ValuAir, set up by SIA veteran Lim Chin Beng, has said it will seriously consider using the budget airline terminal at a later stage.

While such plans are underfoot, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, or CAAS, said in an e-mail Tuesday it intends to spend S$45 million to modify facilities at Changi Airport to accommodate the huge Airbus A380 double-decker jumbo jet.

The works, to be completed by end-2005, include widening runways, modifying air bridges to accommodate the 550-seat A380, extension of baggage belts, and increasing the size of the rooms holding the passengers just before actual boarding by 5%-10%.

Not content with strengthening its home base, Changi Airport has moved to increase its regional footprint.

The CAAS said in the e-mail that Changi Airport and India's Bharti Enterprises will be forming a 50:50 consortium to bid for the development and management of Mumbai and Delhi airports.

The bid for 74% in the two airports, envisioned to be among India's biggest private-sector investments in infrastructure, will run as high as US$1 billion each. The Indian government owns both airports, which are profitable and handle 63% of the country's international passenger traffic.

Changi Airport's experience overseas so far has involved providing consultancy services in airport engineering, management and operations, and undertaking projects in China, India, Philippines, Pakistan, Fiji and Seychelles.

It also owns a 50% equity stake in Alterra Partners through Singapore Changi Airport Enterprise, which has invested in airports in London, Costa Rica, Peru and Curacao.

http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/040323/15/3iz4f.html

i can't imagine how basic it'll be.... 20 million isnt even enough to build a primary school...

I'm still wondering if its necessary in the first place. Time will tell if it actually benefits passengers and budget airlines. Perhaps this could be a 'long term' vision to cope with the potential explosion in budget carriers operating out of Singapore in the future.

In any case its better than using the Seletar Airport.

Who knows the exact date Skytrain started operating?

Dont have the exact date but I am sure it was in 1990/91 when T2 opened. Try Changi Airport website.

Dont have the exact date but I am sure it was in 1990/91 when T2 opened. Try Changi Airport website.
not much info.

SM: We'll meet competition on SIA and Changi head-on

6 April 2004

By Zuraidah Ibrahim

IF SINGAPORE Airlines had its way, it would ignore the threat from low-cost carriers, revealed the Senior Minister yesterday when he met union and management to discuss the future of the airline and that of Changi's airhub status.

But that has never been the Singapore way of meeting competition.

Instead, SIA and Changi must tackle the new challenges - whether from low-cost carriers or the arrival of long-range aircraft or other Changi wannabes - head-on and well in advance.

How? By restructuring and cutting costs now to ensure the national carrier can shake off the competition and by remaking Changi so it can stay a vital hub.

Trimming costs and restructuring would be painful, he conceded, but in the end they would save and create jobs and grow the pie for everyone.

With lower costs and greater efficiencies, SIA and Changi can attract more traffic and thus ride the aviation boom of the coming years.

Why the need to lay out the big picture and who was the primary audience?

First, the occasion. It was an Istana meeting between Mr Lee Kuan Yew and representatives from the five SIA unions, and senior management, followed by a dialogue with union members.

The audience: Union leaders and workers in SIA and Changi. But just as important, Mr Lee clearly had a message for other Singaporeans also undergoing pain as the economy restructures to compete against a rising China and India and neighbours snapping at Singapore's heels.

Painful as the adjustments might be now, they would result in a stronger Singapore in the future, he said.

On the aviation challenges specifically, he noted: 'The easiest thing for us to do is to block the competition. In other words, we block low-cost carriers from Changi.

'It will only bring about the inevitable - Changi will be bypassed and we will lose our airhub status.'

At stake, however, is not just this status but the entire economy, which depends on connectivity to thrive.

Indeed, so much is riding on Changi's airhub status that, in its calculations, the Government is prepared to lose its stakes in SIA but will do its all to keep the airhub status, said Mr Lee.

Thus, it has allowed low-cost carriers to operate from Changi and create a low-cost terminal that can turn around aircraft in 30 minutes instead of an hour.

Also, a third ground handler is coming to bring costs down. Handling fees make up 11 per cent of an airline's operating costs. So if costs go down, more airlines will come to Changi.

Workers will have to change and multi-task to ensure low-cost carriers prefer Changi's efficiency.

Changi must also upgrade its infrastructure. And its staff must 'go the extra mile to delight customers', he said.

At the same time, SIA must transform its business model as its profit margins get squeezed. 'Cost management will be a critical underpin' of its strategy.

In restructuring, it could even divest some parts as it outsources to stay lean.

'There will be a different configuration of the work forces in Changi Airport and SIA,' he said, noting that the changes would come within the next six to 18 months.

One example he cited: Singapore Airport Terminal Services, which could see SIA divesting its 87 per cent stake.

He laid down the options: 'Either we wait for SIA and Changi to be under increasing pressure and eventually break down, or we carry out these changes in order to protect and expand connectivity as a hub.'

Yesterday's Istana affair was the second such public meeting in as many months that SM Lee chaired to resolve SIA affairs.

The first had been with the beleaguered pilots' union over its festering woes with management. He urged them to start anew with the new management by building trust.

It was a theme he took up yesterday, this time calling on management to start opening its books so that union leaders could know what was at stake and what had to be done.

He said management was also under notice to perform. It too has to 'change or be changed'.

A key message: Everyone should work as a team. 'We got here by being one team. We are going to overcome these challenges by being one team,' he said.

To make sure this was indeed happening and there was trust, he told the unions and management, he wanted another meeting. 'So we meet again in six months.'

As they gathered to leave, one unionist remarked: 'Six months' time. This is serious.'

The remaking of Changi Airport

7 April 2004

The Ministry of Transport sets out how the airport will adapt to retain its position as a premier aviation hub

http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-04-07/mot7-235514.jpg

CHANGI'S position as a regional air hub may be impacted by the following developments - new aircraft technology, increased competition from regional airlines, Singapore as a business and tourism centre, competition from regional airports, and new growth markets.

How these developments actually affect us will depend very much on how successfully Singapore, Changi airport and Singapore Airlines (SIA) can renew and strengthen ourselves to meet these challenges.

New aircraft technology: This is a two-edged sword - we can be both threatened, as well as benefit, from the recent launch of the new Airbus A340-500, an ultra-long range aircraft, followed in 2006 by the A380, a huge 550-passenger aircraft.

The new ultra-long range aircraft poses the bigger threat of the two. This is because it now allows airlines to bypass Singapore. For instance, airlines flying from Europe en route to Australia can now choose to stop over at further points, like Dubai for example, instead of Changi.

At the same time, it is an opportunity as it allows airlines to fly non-stop from Singapore to key points in North America, like Los Angeles and New York, thereby enhancing our position as an air hub. With the 747s, regional passengers need to stop over at Changi as well as another intermediate point (eg, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Seoul or Tokyo). The A340-500 therefore gives airlines a highly competitive product out of Singapore.

The new A380 is more of an opportunity to us than a threat. The new plane will strengthen the role of air hubs in view of its huge carrying capacity that will aid in bringing passengers consolidated from a particular region to the rest of the world. SIA's sizable order of ten A380s will therefore stand Changi in good stead.

Increased airline competition:We will see increased competition from existing regional national airlines and new low-cost airlines in the years ahead.

Thai Airways' significant management restructuring has brought in a team of capable senior managers who are determined to rebuild the airline and return it to its former prominence. The new management has performed well - with the carrier registering healthy profits in the last few quarters.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has also undergone restructuring and will be renewing its fleet over the coming years. In the quarter ended Dec 31, 2003, MAS reported an operating profit of RM146 million (S$65 million), an 182 per cent increase over the preceding corresponding quarter.

Traditionally, weak national airlines hamper the development of their home-base airport. This is because most governments jealously protect their own airlines. In the case of Thailand, the government has in recent years also adopted a policy that is very similar to ours. It has not hesitated to open up its skies, and subject Thai Airways to the pressures of international competition. As Thailand's national airline becomes more competitive and grows its network, it will also enhance the hub status of its home airport, the new Bangkok airport, scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2005. As such, this will increase competition for both Changi and SIA.

SIA will therefore need to continue to enhance productivity and efficiency, and reduce costs wherever possible in the face of the growing regional competition. But SIA has also to take care to balance cost reductions with maintaining its branding niche. In an increasingly competitive market, dominating a market niche is crucial. In SIA's case, its strategy of providing a quality product has enabled it to charge a fare premium on many routes.

At the same time, we will continue to see the establishment of new regional airlines, especially the low-cost carriers. LCCs create new markets by making it possible for lower income earners to fly. Therefore we will need to encourage the regional LCCs to fly here. They will enhance our tourist inflow, and help boost our services sector. They will also enhance our hub status, as some of their passengers will transfer at Changi onto international flights, and vice versa.

Emirates will also be a strong competitor on the Kangaroo route (ie, between Europe and Australia) for SIA and Qantas/British Airways. Not only does Emirates offer a good premium product, its pricing is also aggressive.

Singapore as a business and tourism centre: Airlines fly to airports only when the passenger loads and yields warrant it. Our development as a business centre and tourism destination has helped to underpin Changi's development as an air hub. Other positive factors are our high income level and strong currency. The latter two factors and the high concentration of business travellers here have resulted in Singapore being a very attractive, high-yield aviation market.

We must ensure that we continue to grow our role as an international business hub. We must also re-engineer and renew our tourism products, as they are now dated compared to the attractions in the neighbouring countries. The Singapore Tourism Board, the Economic Development Board and other government agencies will need to work closely together to achieve this.

Competition from regional airports: The key competition may come from the new Bangkok Airport. The new airports in Hong Kong, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou serve mainly the China and East Asia markets and as such, do not compete directly with us.

Geographically, Bangkok is in a better position to serve both the Europe-Asia and the Europe-Australia/New Zealand (Kangaroo) routes. Bangkok is also a more attractive tourist destination. However, over the years, we have become more dominant on the Kangaroo route as the two dominant players on this route, BA/Qantas and SIA, hub in Changi.

We must continue to enhance the 'Changi Experience' for both airlines and passengers. For the airlines, this translates into competitive, but not necessarily the cheapest, costs. What they want are reasonable airport charges, and airport systems that work well and enable their passengers to transfer to other flights with minimal delays and fuss. Passengers need a comfortable, user-friendly airport, with plenty of attractions to occupy their transit or waiting times, served by courteous and helpful staff.

We will continue to upgrade both the hardware and software aspects of the Changi Experience. On the hardware side, Terminal Two is now being upgraded at a cost of $240 million, with completion scheduled for end-2005. Terminal One will then be upgraded at a projected cost of $180 million, and Terminal Three, currently under construction, will cost $1.75 billion when completed in end-2008. This will greatly improve Changi Airport's hardware, and bring it up to date with the newer airports in the region.

On the software side, Changi will continue to invest in staff development to ensure that customer service continues to be excellent. We are strengthening the various management levels to ensure we have adequate breadth and depth of capabilities as Changi's passenger volume continues to grow. This will also enable us to innovate and improve the Changi product, and to keep a few steps ahead of the competition.

Changi is also very conscious of the need to be cost-competitive. Its efficiency has enabled Changi to charge the second lowest airport charges in Asia, and yet achieve reasonable rates of return on our airport investments.

Changi has several innovative support packages to help airlines reduce costs. This includes the $210 million Air Hub Development Fund, which, among other schemes, grants airlines a 15 per cent rebate on landing fees. Another is the $40 million Growth Incentive Scheme, which incentivises airlines to grow their passenger traffic through Changi. As ground handling charges make up some 11 per cent of an airline's operating costs (versus 5 per cent for airport charges), Changi has invited bids for a third ground handling and flight catering licence. The response from large international ground handlers has been very positive, and we expect the new licence to be awarded in the middle of this year. The entry of the third ground handler and third caterer is expected to make the ground handling market at Changi more competitive, and bring down the charges. This will further enhance Changi's cost-competitiveness.

The entry of the third ground handler/caterer will exert pressure on the two existing ground handlers, Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats) and Changi International Airport Services (CIAS) - both of which also have catering kitchens. They will need to critically review and improve their operations in the interim period before the new company starts operation in the middle of next year.

But as the airport traffic continues to grow because of our enhanced hub position, it will also create new career opportunities. On CAAS' part, it will have to maintain careful watch over the ground handlers to ensure that they do not compromise on service standards under pressure to cut cost and maintain high profitability.

New growth markets: In the next 20 years, China will be the second largest aviation market after the US. Not only will China be a key inbound market, it will also be a key outbound market. Pre-Sars, the annual compound growth between Singapore and China from 1998 to 2002 exceeded 20 per cent per annum.

In tandem, China will also become the biggest purchaser of aircraft. This will also fuel the development of China's maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) sector. In time to come, China's MRO sector may also compete against Singapore's.

There will also be ample business opportunities in the area of airport development, which can range from airport design and construction to airport operations and maintenance. To tap this area, the Singapore Airport Consortium was recently formed, spearheaded by IE Singapore.

Apart from China, the opportunities in India are similarly present.

To tap the new growth opportunities, we will continue to liberalise our air services, and encourage our counterparts in other countries to do likewise.

This will create not only more competition for SIA, but new opportunities too. But what is important is that as passenger traffic grows, so will our hub role and the resulting career and jobs opportunities.

Singapore faces many challenges in maintaining its hub status. The Ministry of Transport (MOT) and CAAS are already pursuing some initiatives to meet these challenges, and will continue to actively explore other areas to strengthen our position. We will need to further improve our productivity, by cutting costs and improving our work methodologies.

This will need the cooperation of everyone involved, from the airlines to the ground handlers and maintenance companies. All staff must also continue to upgrade themselves and improve their service levels. This will set Changi apart from the competition.

As the entire aviation pie grows, incumbents will also stand to benefit though their market share may change. Job opportunities will increase, but perhaps with different employers. Skilled airport workers and professionals should also be prepared to go overseas to capitalise on the new opportunities in China and India.

Fundamentally, Singapore must continue to remain attractive as a business and tourism hub so that there is ample passenger traffic for airlines to tap into. This is a challenge that MOT/CAAS will need to tackle with other government agencies, such as the Singapore Tourism Board and Economic Development Board.

We sound like we are going to war! :D

lol..but I find it inspiring, neither complacent nor defeatist. The right attitude IMO :cool:

complacency is scary thing... just creeps up on you and suddenly you're in deep shit..

complacency is scary thing... just creeps up on you and suddenly you're in deep shit..
Speaks like an old and learned one...haha! :D

Air industry evolving

SINGAPORE's embrace of the budget airline business has been breathtaking, considering it is the home of the world's most consistently dependable premium airline. This week, Qantas received a more or less official welcome to start yet another discount service here, as the Australian carrier's main partner is Temasek Holdings. Temasek also has a stake in Tiger Airways headlined by Singapore Airlines and the Irish budget carrier Ryanair. Thus far, four discount airlines have planted their colours here. Malaysia's AirAsia set something of a template, flying people to Bangkok one-way from Changi at $60 promotional fares. Did any airline executive anticipate this coming to the Asian land mass? The industry is slowly conceding these are evolutionary steps of adapting to the environment. Full-service carriers in Europe and the United States are merging, paring operating costs or going out of business in the face of competition from cheeky fare discounters like Ryanair and Southwest Airlines. Whether the evolutionary change that has gone on in that part of the world for a decade could be repeated in Asia to the same degree is hard to forecast. Operating conditions in Asia are different, industry experts never fail to point out. They mean difficult. Europe's skies are largely fair game for the ablest in sewing up deals, whereas America is a continental market unto itself.

But if industry watchers would project their scenario-making boldly, do they see in the foreseeable future a shakeout in the Asian air industry much like what food and general merchandising had undergone in consumer societies? Meaning, mass merchandisers capture volume to rule the roost, leaving pricey boutique establishments to cater to a dwindling, select clientele. This is where Singapore's operating creed of joining the competition, not ducking by putting up barriers to keep out rivals, should be emulated by every government in Asia and Australasia. Budget carriers, no less than regular airlines, will face the same obstacles of regulated skies when they do their route planning. Under-capitalised discount carriers flying out of Changi would not be able to sustain more than several years of losses if they do not have a minimum range of operating rights to land in, say, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, India, Thailand and southern China. It is fortuitous that the budget business has a ripple effect in that more of these countries are themselves seeing the benefits of having their own low-fare services. Then, it behoves all countries to collaborate.

The Singapore Government's non-discriminatory approach to civil aviation, now extended to discounters, could, if replicated by other governments, help bring about a golden age in Asian travel. The International Tourism Organisation and the International Air Transport Association see Asia as the next mass-travel tourism market. Travel within China itself by the Chinese has been setting records. If the travel trade in Asia is quick to hook up with discount airlines in the manner they have traditionally done business with scheduled carriers, the sky is no limit. Indonesian domestic discount travel is a revealing study. After deregulation in 1999, a plunge in fares brought 25 carriers into the fray. People could fly Lion Air between Jakarta and Makassar, 1,800km away in Sulawesi, for US$50 (S$84) against the old fare of US$300. It is little wonder there has been a travel boom within Indonesia: 12 million domestic fliers in 2002, 17.5 million last year, a projected 20 million plus this year. Indonesia is only a microcosm of the Asia that can be in the multiplier effect.

Enhancing the total Changi experience


In these pages yesterday, the Ministry of Transport spelt out the competition facing Changi Airport and how it intends to stay ahead. Today, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) provides more specifics.

IT IS traffic volume that will determine Changi's success as an air hub - attracting more airlines to mount more services to and through the airport.

Changi's total traffic comprises two components: origin-destination (OD) traffic and transfer traffic. The growth of OD traffic is very much dependent on whether Singapore can remain attractive as a business and tourism hub. The growth of transfer traffic will depend on how well Changi and its airline partners (SIA and foreign carriers operating here) can compete in an environment where more direct non-stop flights are possible and more alternative choices of stopovers are available.

Airport competition is really about competition for transfer traffic. Changi needs to differentiate itself from newer and larger airports around us, not just by our efficiency but by a level of service and an overall experience that will make passengers and airlines choose Changi over our competitors.

To airlines which are deciding where to stop over, competitive airport charges at Changi are also important (in addition to whether there is OD traffic). Hence, Changi will have to focus on these areas to defend its position as an air hub:

- Providing airport capacity which can meet the expected demands and cater to the different needs of airlines;

- Maintaining high airport standards, with good customer service to passengers and airlines; and

- Keeping airport charges competitive.

UPGRADING OF TERMINALS

CAAS has been upgrading and expanding the airport continuously to keep capacity ahead of having to meet these stringent standards, on top of the additional and more stringent security screening procedures required by governments and airlines post-9/11. But the standards are necessary to ensure our competitive advantage in efficiency is maintained.

INVESTING IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

WE DO not focus only on efficiency. The newer airports have the capacity and are making efforts to improve efficiency.

To differentiate Changi from the rest, we will have to provide better customer service all round. CAAS invests $2.6 million a year in quality service training programmes, service awareness campaigns and incentives for good service.

Instead of merely encouraging airport front-line and retail staff to be courteous, which other airports are also trying to do, we want to train and motivate airport staff to go the extra mile to delight customers.

This is not an easy task, especially for immigration and check-in staff, as they have to cope with the pressure of having to maintain efficiency standards and complying with security requirements.

Nonetheless, airport workers have to embrace this new service mindset for Changi to stay ahead of the competition.

Key to delivering a consistently high quality of service across the entire value chain is the need for all personnel working at Changi to be totally committed to the idea that they are part of a team, and that their individual contributions are important in delivering the total Changi experience to airlines and passengers.

CAAS places great emphasis on cultivating this sense of ownership and common purpose among staff at Changi. This is especially important in the area of security where every employee has to be constantly alert to the threats of terrorism.

LEVERAGING ON TECHNOLOGY

CAAS will continue to encourage and help airport agencies to re-engineer their work processes, leveraging on IT and automation. We are prepared to put in seed money and to pay for the common infrastructure.

An example is the provision of a wireless network in the passenger terminals to enable ground handling companies to provide wireless check-in service for transfer passengers. Passengers with short transfer time could be checked in for their connecting flight at the aerobridge without having to go to the main building.

CAAS also pushes for applications of IT to raise productivity. Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats) is deploying a wireless baggage reconciliation system which rides on the airport wireless infrastructure at the baggage sorting area. With this system, Sats staff can easily locate the bags of passengers who do not turn up at the aircraft on time, thus avoiding delay in aircraft departure.

In the future, airport agencies can make use of the airport wireless local area network at the aircraft parking and taxiway areas to implement productivity enhancement measures. Potential applications include wireless data transfers between the aircraft and the airline operations control centre and real time access by flight engineers to engineering manuals for aircraft servicing.

Changi has been well rated for its comprehensive range of facilities and attractions - movie theatre, gardens, swimming pool, gymnasium, free city tours and shopping facilities. The aim is to attract passengers to stop over at Changi where they can enjoy their transit times with us.

We are constantly refreshing ourselves to enhance the Changi experience. We are rolling out new lounges integrating TV entertainment, food and beverage outlets and events to create a buzz at the airport. Changi Airport will soon have more than 200 free Internet terminals spread all over the airport for passengers.

AIRPORT CHARGES

AERONAUTICAL charges to airlines at Changi are already quite competitive - we are the second lowest in Asia. To bring down ground handling costs for airlines through greater competition, CAAS will issue a third ground handling licence later this year.

It is understandable that staff of the existing ground handling companies (Sats and the Changi International Airport Services) may feel the threat of losing their jobs or suffering pay cuts. Looking at the bigger picture, they would be worse off if airlines decide to pull out of Singapore because our high ground handling cost makes us unattractive.

On the other hand, if airport traffic continues to grow because of our enhanced competitive position, it will also create new career opportunities for the airport workers. Hence, they should be prepared to continue to upgrade themselves and improve their service levels and productivity.

The experience in Europe shows that with the liberalisation of the ground handling market and with increased competition, national airlines are forced to divest their ground handling arm and source for the most cost-competitive ground handling services to lower operating costs.

Lufthansa divested its ground handling arm, Globeground, to Servisair (owned by Penauille Polyservices, a French company) in 2001. Swiss Air similarly divested Swissport to Candover Partners (a UK company) in 2002.

Although Lufthansa and Swiss Air eventually still use Servisair and Swissport respectively at many of their stations, these two ground handling companies cannot take it for granted that they can forever keep these two accounts. They have to compete with other ground handlers.

Hence, whether or not SIA would eventually divest Sats, Sats staff must work towards providing ground handling services which are competitive vis-a-vis international players.

INCENTIVES TO AIRLINES

CAAS has set aside $210 million for an Air Hub Development Fund to support a wide range of incentives for airlines at Changi Airport.

CAAS is also restructuring the franchise fees for ground handling business at the airport. This would result in about $10 million in annual savings for ground handlers. We expect ground handlers to pass on these savings to airlines.

COMMERCIAL REVENUE

CAAS recognises the need to develop a strong partnership with its airlines by helping them market their services and by keeping their costs down. We have been tapping more and more on the commercial potential of Changi to help fund the development and operations of the airport so that our landing fees and airport charges can be held down.

This strategy has served us well so far. Our income from airport shops and restaurants now makes up about 33 per cent of our annual revenue.

Moving forward, we have to work more closely with the airport shops and their staff to grow our shopping revenue. The upgrading of Terminals 1 and 2 will create space for additional retail and food and beverage outlets. And we will continue to co-invest with the shops in staff development to improve their customer service.

Besides the aviation-related challenges, Changi must also be prepared for disruptive changes such as Sars and terrorism that require our swift and decisive response. All the airport agencies need to be nimble and flexible. The success of the various initiatives to strengthen Changi's position would depend on the cooperation and support of all airport organisations - management, staff and unions. CAAS will work closely with them.

Competition welcome as spur to better service

I WOULD like to clarify a few points in Ms Rebecca Lee's article, 'Sats questions need for third ground handler at Changi' (ST, April 7).

Sats does not question the Government's decision to open the ground-handling market and to award a licence to a third ground handler.

Through the years, we have had competition both locally (against Changi International Airport Services) and regionally. Sats welcomes competition as it serves to challenge us to continually sharpen our cost competitiveness and service quality.

We have always priced our handling rates competitively, commensurate with the level of product and service offerings required by our customers.

Even with the recent volatile aviation environment, we have been able to deliver top-quality service to our customers and strong returns to our shareholders. The entry of the third handling agent will make no difference in this respect.

As for the comments made by Sats CEO Ng Chin Hwee last Monday, they were meant to highlight the concern of the burden placed on Sats as the major player, given the scale of investment required to cater for the growth of the aviation industry.

Since 1981, Sats has invested more than $1 billion in state-of-the-art infrastructure to maintain the high level of service provided to the industry and support Changi Airport's status as the premier aviation hub in the region.

Only recently, Sats invested more than $215 million to relocate its inflight kitchen to facilitate Changi Airport's expansion plans for Terminal 3.

A $270 million highly automated cargo-handling terminal was commissioned in 2001 to support the air-cargo industry by providing handling capacity for the next seven years.

Such investments are usually made well ahead to maximise operating efficiencies as the volume of business grows.

Sats is ready to meet the challenge of the third handler and will continue to play a major role of providing a cost-competitive and quality product to our airline clients in support of Changi as a premier aviation hub.

MAH TZE CHIANG
Investor Relations Manager
Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats)

Good news for Changi as flights increase

Airport shows its first jump in weekly flights since Sars struck and rise in passenger traffic is its biggest in a year

By Karamjit Kaur

THE clouds are clearing for Changi Airport, which recorded its first increase in weekly flights last month since Sars hit Singapore a year ago. It handled more than 3,400 flights a week on average, a rise lifted by the extra flights introduced by 12 airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Garuda and Emirates.

As a result, passenger traffic hit 2.37 million - a 6.7 per cent rise over the figure for March last year and the biggest jump in 12 months, said a Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore spokesman. The extra 150,000 passengers last month helped raise the traffic in the first quarter of this year to 7.05 million passengers, a 1.7 per cent increase over the same period last year.

Another boost came from the pick-up in the economy. It raised the volume of cargo moved to 156,000 tonnes, a 7.4 per cent jump over March last year, which helped lift the first quarter's volume to 416,000 tonnes, a 7.5 per cent increase against the same period last year.

These figures were welcomed by analysts such as DBS Vickers aviation analyst Chris Sanda, who said Changi was on the right track in defending its air hub status.

Changi's vulnerability was put in the spotlight recently by Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, as airports in Thailand and Malaysia and as far away as Dubai seek to wrest away business. The arrival of new ultra-long-range aircraft such as the Airbus A340-500 has also led airlines such as Emirates to bypass Singapore.

Mr Sanda, however, noted that 'Changi has put forward a strong set of incentives to keep Singapore as a transport hub'. These include discounts that have helped Changi's landing, parking and aerobridge charges to be the lowest in the region, after Malaysia's. Still, Mr Lee said recently that Changi needed to cut costs by as much as 15 per cent to stay attractive.

Another challenge was to get budget airlines to fly here, the analysts said. Singapore is considering a low-cost terminal bordering the main Changi terminals and will go ahead if Tiger Airways, a new budget airline being set up by Singapore Airlines with several partners, agrees to use it. The four budget airlines in the works are expected to start flying before the year ends.

Mr Sanda is confident that Changi will benefit from the 'increasing traffic volume that budget airlines will help generate'.

Two killed in oven blast

They were repairing the room-size oven at a kitchen in the Inflight Catering Centre near Changi Airport when it exploded

By Crystal Chan and Tanya Fong

A BLAST on Thursday night from a giant oven at a kitchen in the Inflight Catering Centre near Changi Airport killed two men, one of whom just got his permanent residency two weeks ago and became a father four days ago.

New father Yang Jianxin, 39, a Chinese national, and his boss, Mr Richard Quek, 47, were trying to repair the oven, about the size of a small room, when it exploded at about 9.25pm.

A woman worker, who was walking past the bakery in the kitchen, which is operated by Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats), suffered minor bruises on her face. She is a Thai national in her 40s who works as a bakery packer for Sats.

Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force are trying to pinpoint what caused the blast.

A Sats spokesman told The Straits Times that when it happened, the men were in the oven - about 2.4m long, 1.8m wide and 1.9m deep - which is used for baking bread rolls and muffins.

It had stopped working last Saturday and Apexlink, which services the oven, was informed of it.

On Monday, the two men checked the equipment and carried out the repairs on Thursday evening.

The company, which employs about 30 workers, supplies industrial kitchen equipment such as ovens and refrigerators to hotels, restaurants and country clubs, including the Shangri-La and Raffles hotels as well as the Tanglin Club and the Singapore Turf Club.

Apexlink was formed by Mr Quek and Mr S.H. Goh, 49, four years ago. Three weeks ago, it moved from its Joo Seng Road factory to bigger premises in Kallang Way.


Watch Channel i news clip here

Described as a workaholic by his staff, Mr Quek worked long hours and would personally attend to problems.

Said Apexlink's manager Daniel Tan, 49: 'He was a very experienced mechanic and would go with the staff to the companies to make sure the problems got fixed.'

Said his partner Mr Goh: 'He led by example and was a very caring person. When we heard the news, many of us broke down. I still can't believe he's gone.'

Mr Quek leaves three children: a 17-year-old son and two daughters aged five and 13.

The employee who died with him was a technician who joined Apexlink three years ago.

Mr Yang, who came here 10 years ago from Fuzhou, China, has a 14-year-old son and on Tuesday, his wife gave birth to a girl.

Said Mr Tan: 'Everything seemed to be going for him because he got his PR two weeks ago and he was literally jumping for joy.'

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-04-17/17asin.jpg
Aplexlink boss Richard Quek, 47, who was a workaholic

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-04-17/17sin.jpg
Mr Yang Jianxin, 39, whose wife just gave birth

ooh :/ triple tragedy - two people dead and both of them are nice :(

IA starting 2nd daily S'pore-Chennai flight

26 April 2004


(SINGAPORE) Indian Airlines will launch a second daily flight connecting Singapore and Chennai from next month to meet rising demand.

The new evening flight will deploy an Airbus 320 aircraft and depart Singapore at 8.55 pm, in addition to the existing daily morning service.

Indian Airlines already operates daily flights from Singapore to Bangkok, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

Last week Thai Airways announced more services to India. It said it will expand its services between Bangkok and Bangalore due to high demand by IT professionals travelling to the US, via that route.

Indian Airlines, which first flew to Singapore in 1987, announced earlier this month it planned to lease six Airbus A320 and five A319 aircraft this year to boost capacity.

It recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore Airport Terminal Services to manage ground handling at 23 India airports.

State-owned Air India is the only other Indian airline operating between Singapore and the sub-continent, which has seen a surge in air travel in the last two years.

Singapore to push for open skies pact with Australia

Deal will allow SIA to fly lucrative transpacific route to the US

By Rebecca Lee

SINGAPORE will press the case for an open skies agreement with Australia now the global aviation environment has improved.

Such an agreement will remove all restrictions on air travel and enable Singapore Airlines (SIA), as the national carrier, to fly the lucrative transpacific route to the United States from Australia.

Similarly, Australian carriers will be able to fly freely to and beyond here, to all points, including major European and Asian destinations.

Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong did not say yesterday how long it will take before a deal can be reached, in reply to MP Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC).

He told the House: 'We are engaging the Australian authorities and I intend to press this issue very strongly.'

Under an expanded air services agreement reached last September, airlines from the two countries can fly without restriction between Singapore and any point in Australia. It also lifted all barriers on flight frequency and capacity.

However, the two countries' airlines cannot pick up passengers to fly them beyond each other's borders.

Singapore has been keen to sign a completely open skies pact, but Australia said it was not ready as the recovery in the global aviation industry had then only just begun.

Both sides agreed to continue to work towards a deal when there is greater stability in the global aviation scene.

Yesterday, Mr Yeo stressed the benefits this will bring to the Australian public as it will increase their choice of airlines to fly the transpacific route to the US, now dominated by Qantas and United Airlines.

Both countries' economies will also benefit greatly from the increased air links.

Mr Yeo also noted that the 'outlook for the global aviation environment has been very positive'.

He cited the International Air Transport Association forecast that global passenger traffic will grow by 7 per cent this year, while Asia-Pacific passenger traffic is expected to grow by 14 per cent.

Further proof of a stable market: the positive financial results of Qantas, which this month announced it will set up a low-cost carrier here with Singapore's state-owned investment agency Temasek Holdings and two other Singaporeans as investors.

The venture, said Mr Yeo, will entrench Qantas' existing hub operations in Changi, and the increased passenger traffic will also boost tourism here.

He said the Republic will continue to pursue a liberal air policy as more available air rights will enable SIA and other new Singapore carriers to grow. This will in turn strengthen Changi's role as a hub airport.

Not free as a bird

HOW sporting is the Australian airline Qantas in handling competition? If this sounds a bit off, as no quarter is given and none asked for in the cut-throat airline business, one could enquire how far-sighted Qantas can be. For some time, Singapore Airlines' bid to fly the profitable route between Australia and the western United States has been matched by Qantas' determination to have the lolly to itself. Although it shares the Pacific run from Australia's main coastal cities to California's gateway points with United Airlines, an American carrier, it enjoys a near-monopoly as it has three-quarters of the traffic. To let the hyper-premium SIA in would surely see Qantas' kangaroo hop lose some of its bounce. Hence, its incessant lobbying of the Australian government to deny Singapore an open-skies air agreement that would mandate Australia to offer SIA 'beyond' rights on the California route.

It is reasonable to ascertain if Qantas - and by extension the Canberra government - would be more accommodating now that the airline's fortunes have improved and passenger traffic is picking up. At last year's air talks between the two governments, SIA was thwarted on the Australian argument that the air sector was still unstable after the twin effects of the Iraq war and the Sars outbreak. It was not the most convincing way to argue non-cooperation in civil aviation, but Canberra had its way as it was the giver not the applicant in the exchange. But the industry outlook has brightened. It is logical to expect Canberra (and Qantas) to not stick to the old argument under a fresh set of talks. Qantas reported a profit of A$358 million (S$449 million) for the half-year ending December, against a A$9 million loss in the previous half-year. It is also the beneficiary, with Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific, of an updated agreement between Australia and Hong Kong signed last week. Besides more flights between them and a chance to tap into China's growing leisure traffic to Australia and New Zealand, Qantas may now open up a new run to Europe via Hong Kong. Its chief executive Geoff Dixon was on record as saying his airline could start with four Hong Kong-London flights weekly, increasing to seven flights within two years. It does not seem as if Qantas needs much protecting anymore. Above all, the International Air Transport Association has projected 14 per cent growth this year in Asia-Pacific travel, after a contraction of about 10 per cent last year.

Yet a report by the Bloomberg financial service said Australia's stand would be much the same - an indefinite closed door. If this was accurate, it would be unfortunate for two reasons: the Australians' plea for time for the industry to consolidate begins to sound spurious, and deliberately shutting out competition introduces an unpleasant codicil to global trade in services. It would not be in keeping with the Australian tradition of giving consumers a fair go. Negotiations have not begun in earnest, however. Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong stirred the industry with the remark that Singapore had 'other goodies in the bag to trade off with the Australians'. Last year, Mr Dixon told the Australian ABC network that giving in to SIA on the California run was unbeneficial to Australia. His reason? 'There is no equivalent that Singapore can give us.' Qantas already operates daily Australia-London flights through Singapore and Bangkok with its part-owner British Airways. But beyond a narrow quid pro quo, how about casting a glance towards the horizon and see a world of travel without end?

Why SIA looks to Aussie open-skies pact

THE article, 'Singapore to push for open-skies pact with Australia' (ST, April 20), reported that, at present, Singaporean and Australian airlines 'cannot pick up passengers to fly them beyond each other's borders'. This is incorrect.

For many years, Qantas has enjoyed the right to carry traffic between Singapore and various cities in Europe and Asia. Its investment in a Singapore-based carrier will allow it to expand its network to even more points beyond Singapore. Singapore Airlines (SIA), on the other hand, is not allowed to carry traffic to any points beyond Australia, except for New Zealand.

We welcome competition and have confidence that being competitive makes us a better organisation, but competition needs to be on a level playing field, enabling all parties to compete fairly.

Qantas benefits from government protection on the US route which has created a capacity shortage and high air fares. SIA enjoys no such protection on routes from Singapore, on which Qantas can and does compete vigorously against it.

This is hardly a level playing field, and we hope the imbalance will be corrected before too long.

RICK CLEMENTS
Vice-President, Public Affairs
Singapore Airlines

MAY 3, 2004

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) begins a non-stop service to New York on June 28 that will take 18 hours in each direction - a new record for the world's longest non-stop flight.

The daily service promises to cut travel time by up to four hours.

Fares have not been finalised, but passengers can expect to pay about $2,000 for a round-trip economy-class ticket, the same price for a flight with a transit point.

With the new service, SIA will increase the frequency of its flights to New York from 11 times weekly to 14.

Passengers can still fly to New York via Frankfurt but SIA will stop flying to the Big Apple via Amsterdam when the non-stop service starts.

The New York service beats the previous record for non-stop flights, held by another SIA service: The 16-hour one to Los Angeles which was launched in February.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

the two valuair planes :) so cute!
http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v47/sybarite/singapore/IMGP4542.jpg

I'm not surprised if the Oz government denies SIA transpacific rights.

@heirloom, how timely! Did you take that from a plane?

yep... saw them when leaving changi

Cute planes....

And if Virgin Blue starts flying here too, they jolly well open that damn transpacific sector...OR ELSE!!!! :D

Cute planes....

And if Virgin Blue starts flying here too, they jolly well open that damn transpacific sector...OR ELSE!!!! :D

Aiya they are always so protective one lah....just like they are protective of their economic status against the chinese in history.....No wonder people say history repeats itself??? :)

my econs teacher has been teaching me that the australian government has been encouraging opening up of their businesses for the past decade and have been enormously successful... resulting in low inflation and high economic growth.. in the front of my mind i keep thinking of them protecting qantas... haha... really shows how scared they are of singapore airliens

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 04 May 2004 1651 hrs

By Chan Hwa Loon, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore says two international firms are bidding for the third ground handling licence for Changi Airport.

The two firms are Worldwide Flight Service, owned by the VINCI group of France, and Swissport International, majority owned by London-based private equity house Candover Partners.

But the Aviation Authority did not disclose details on their bids.

It says that the tender for the third ground handling licence, which closed last Friday, is expected to be awarded in July.

The two existing ground handlers at Changi Airport are Singapore Airlines subsidiary, Singapore Airport Terminal Services, and Changi International Airport Services.

SATS is by far the larger of the two, with about 80 percent of the airport's ground handling and catering business. - CNA

my econs teacher has been teaching me that the australian government has been encouraging opening up of their businesses for the past decade and have been enormously successful... resulting in low inflation and high economic growth.. in the front of my mind i keep thinking of them protecting qantas... haha... really shows how scared they are of singapore airliens
Singapore aliens? No wonder they are scared!! :D

For goodness sakes..if they are good, what is there to fear?

AIRLINES lar...

the thing is.. they might be good, but they know they probably aren't as good as singapore airlines :D my friend kept complaining about her qantas flight... not that singapore airlines is perfect or anything... i can still find lots to quibble over.

Singapore aliens? No wonder they are scared!! :D

For goodness sakes..if they are good, what is there to fear?

Well they've been "afraid" of the chinese from the time when Australia is still a desert....:D

AIRLINES lar...

the thing is.. they might be good, but they know they probably aren't as good as singapore airlines :D my friend kept complaining about her qantas flight... not that singapore airlines is perfect or anything... i can still find lots to quibble over.
So wats wrong with her Qantas flight?

i dont remember... tend to go into auto answer mode when people rant.. works well so far

i dont remember... tend to go into auto answer mode when people rant.. works well so far
Haha....one wonders what happens when u rant...:rant: :sleepy:

i rarely rant!

i rarely rant!
But you just did, didnt you? :D

that's not!

新闻：新加坡 2004-05-05

● 林顺华

　　你在出国公干前突然有一股想吃本地著名老字号陈福记炒饭的冲动？或是慕名的外国朋友在我国转机时想品尝这道新加坡招牌炒饭？

　　民航局为让人人拥有非常难忘美好的樟宜经历(Changi Experience)，把这些本地美食品牌引入机场，好让国人能寻获到熟悉的口味，外国游客则能齿颊留香，心满意足地飞离我国。

　　樟宜机场第二搭客大厦过境厅内的“樟宜美食街”(Taste of Changi)，吸引陈福记“入伙”，让众人可在登机前享受一碟远近驰名的金黄炒饭。

　　民航局高级商业经理陆善行指出,刚从去年9月陆续传出美食香味的美食街，所占面积比以前的食阁大了一倍。如今，食街有七家餐馆，无论是汉堡包王快餐、日本元气寿司或是印度素食等，都是搭客或机场员工大快朵颐的理想场所。

　　“新加坡是个美食天堂，但以前的食阁只售卖本地食物。我们要把本地老字号或国际知名美食品牌集中在一起，为顾客提供更多不同的选择。”

　　他透露，当第一搭客大厦进行翻新时，民航局也考虑把类似的美食街概念推广开去。

　　陈福记是在Select Service Partner(SSP)穿针引线下，在机场内设立第五家分店。SSP是一家英国公司，在全球145个机场内经营各类餐馆，也在各地火车站或游轮中心有类似业务。

　　SSP（新加坡）私人有限公司总经理李为民指出，公司愿意配合民航局的计划，把更多本地著名美食品牌带入机场。所以即使新店铺是以面食为主，但陈福记的十道招牌菜也都列在菜单内。

　　他说：“陈福记专门调了一名厨师在这里一年，除烹煮原汁原味佳肴，也培训接班人。由于机场营业时间长，随时也可能有顾客进出面家，所以我们注重现点现卖，以确保食物的品质。”

　　他指出，陈福记自上月开张后，营业额令人鼓舞，吸引不少外国游客和国人捧场，其中不乏日本游客。

　　铺满新鲜蟹肉和鲜虾的金黄色陈福记炒饭，自50年由陈家两姐妹创造出来后大受国内外顾客欢迎。日本人尤其喜欢她们的炒饭，从此两人的名声不胫而走，以致每碟炒饭曾一度叫价25元，但仍吸引不少饕客的支持。

　　炒饭师傅杨铭（27岁）指出，即使在机场厨房里，炒饭选用的材料、准备工作和火候掌控功夫都不可马虎，以维持水准。但在准备其他食物时，由于转机搭客等候时间有限，所以厨师的速度要更快。

　　赶着搭飞机到印尼的当麻明纪（37岁，广告业人士）品尝炒饭后说：“把饭和蟹肉结合在一起炒，感觉上很怪，但吃了之后却发现味道很特别，让人非常着迷。”

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 05 May 2004 1804 hrs


By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia


SINGAPORE : Changi Airport has been voted the Best Airport in the World by readers of Business Traveller.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore accepted the award on Wednesday in Dubai.

In another survey conducted by the International Air Transport Association and the Airports Council International, Changi Airport was also voted the best in Asia.

More than 50,000 passengers from 35 major international airports participated in the survey.

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Wahaha..time to start a new thread just to irritate some people in the internationla section! :D Do you want to have the honour of doing it? :D

Wahaha..time to start a new thread just to irritate some people in the internationla section! :D Do you want to have the honour of doing it? :D

As a matter of fact, I've already pasted the news on the Changi thread....or do you think it's better to start a new thread????

As a matter of fact, I've already pasted the news on the Changi thread....or do you think it's better to start a new thread????
Start a new thread...we can always merge it later. :D I notice u hv posted in the changi one, but it is ok..just leave it. :)

Well they've been "afraid" of the chinese from the time when Australia is still a desert....:D

Or maybe theyre just jealous of Singapore? I sense that sometimes here on the forum;)

Seems like the whole world is jealous of us.....the aviation section is the most telling! :D

yup seems that way sometimes, but it is really just a select few groups of people..must always bear that in mind :cool:

yup seems that way sometimes, but it is really just a select few groups of people..must always bear that in mind :cool:
Yeah...and a funny little thing is happning RIGHT NOW in the aviation section. Go see if you want...esp in that thread babystan said he will create earlier in this thread! :D

Yeah...and a funny little thing is happning RIGHT NOW in the aviation section. Go see if you want...esp in that thread babystan said he will create earlier in this thread! :D

And the result is "enthusiatic"!!!!! so much so there is a whole new thread!!!!!:D

And the result is "enthusiatic"!!!!! so much so there is a whole new thread!!!!!:D
Hahaha..its not a new thread on their side lah...he merely jacked up an old thread just to respond to ours! :)

That section seems to be quite hogged by us now! :D

Hahaha..its not a new thread on their side lah...he merely jacked up an old thread just to respond to ours! :)

That section seems to be quite hogged by us now! :D

Haha...whatever....it seems like we raise his blood pressure really high....haha.....:D

Haha...whatever....it seems like we raise his blood pressure really high....haha.....:D
Keep up the good work loh. :D Actually these silly ego contests exist even in the city issues or city skylines sections!! :eek:

Keep up the good work loh. :D Actually these silly ego contests exist even in the city issues or city skylines sections!! :eek:

Aiya....this people....sigh.... :bash: :bash:

That guy totally lacks originality. He only posts and creates threads in response to what we make. Dont waste too much time talking about him here.

Yes Sir!

Temasek seeks buyer for Changi ground handler

Move to sell CIAS comes hot on heels of news that two foreign firms have put in bids to become third operator at airport

By Nicholas Fang

A SHAKE-UP among the ground handlers at Changi Airport is gaining pace after Temasek Holdings announced yesterday that one of the two existing operators - Changi International Airport Services (CIAS) - is up for sale.

This sale - which analysts suggest could raise about $400 million - comes just two days after news that two foreign firms have sent in bids to become the third ground-handling operator at Changi Airport.

And it comes a month after Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew said Singapore Airlines may need to sell the No. 1 operator, Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats) in the carrier's push to become more competitive.

Already, there has been considerable interest in the sale from both foreign and local potential buyers, according to Deutsche Bank, appointed as financial advisers on the sale.

CIAS is a joint venture between five airlines - China Airlines, Garuda, Lufthansa, Air France and KLM - European aviation services provider GlobeGround and Temasek. It is held under Temasek's wholly owned unit Hazeltree Holdings. Temasek owns 78.4 per cent in CIAS.

The other shareholders had agreed to sell the remaining 21.6 per cent stake as part of the sale of the business, a Temasek spokesman said yesterday.

She said the CIAS sale was part of the ongoing active management of the Singapore investment company's investment portfolio.

It continuously reviewed its portfolio to identify opportunities to realise value in investments, she added. One of the key objectives of the CIAS sale was to identify a value-adding shareholder that is 'committed to the continual growth and success of CIAS'.

It was too soon to say how much the sale of CIAS might raise, she said. But analysts say the sale could fetch about $400 million, given that CIAS' operations amounted to about 20 per cent those of Sats', which have been valued at about $2 billion.

Sats has about 80 per cent of the ground-handling and catering business at Changi Airport, while CIAS holds the remaining share.

Deutsche Bank said there has already been significant interest from both foreign and local companies.

Deutsche Bank Singapore managing director Jeffrey Speke said yesterday: 'The news has been in the market for a while and we have been approached by a number of companies.' He declined to name the companies.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said earlier this week that it had received one bid for a flight catering licence at Changi Airport and two bids for a ground-handling licence at the close of its tender exercise last month.

Lufthansa subsidiary LSG Catering Hong Kong had bid to set up Singapore's third flight-catering operation, while Swissport International and Worldwide Flight Services are competing to be the third ground-handling operator at Changi Airport.

CAAS said the tenders will be awarded by July. The tenders were called earlier this year to give Sats and CIAS more competition in a bid to drive down charges. This was to make Changi Airport more competitive than regional rivals such as Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

There have been increasing fears that Changi Airport's status as one of Asia's top air hubs will be challenged by the emergence of new longer-range aircraft that can bypass Singapore and budget carriers which prefer to use cheaper regional airports.

Analysts said yesterday that the subdued response to the tender and Temasek's latest move to sell CIAS could be seen as indications that the market was over-saturated and viewed as unprofitable for an additional operator.

Kim Eng research head Seah Hiang Hong said: 'The market here is too saturated already and it is a mature market. A third operator would have no choice but to compete by cutting prices, and this will make it harder for all the operators here.

'It would have made more sense to buy CIAS as it already has the infrastructure and an existing share of the market.

'Now we need to see if those companies can retract their bids or if they can still make a bid to buy CIAS.'

A CAAS spokesman said in response to Straits Times queries yesterday: 'As in all tenders, the tenderers have the option to withdraw their bids, subject to the provisions of the tender.'

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 10 May 2004 1758 hrs

SINGAPORE : Passenger traffic at Singapore's Changi airport more than doubled in April compared with a year ago, airport authorities said Monday, rounding off the aviation hub's recovery from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis.

Passenger traffic rose 102.9 percent to 2.37 million in April from 1.17 million in the same period last year, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said in a statement.

Cargo traffic last month was 9.9 percent higher at 142,000 tonnes, it said.

Last year's SARS outbreak, which caused almost 800 deaths worldwide from some 8,000 infections, triggered a region-wide slump in commercial air traffic, with Changi airport among the hardest hit.

Passenger traffic in 2003 at the airport fell 14.9 percent to 24.7 million passengers, while cargo volumes were down 1.6 percent to 1.61 million tonnes, reflecting the overall impact of SARS.

The aviation authority also said Monday it would announce the successful bidders for extra licenses for the airport's ground handling and inflight catering services in July.

LSG Catering Hong Kong Ltd has submitted a bid for the inflight catering licence while two European industry heavyweights, Swissport International Ltd and Worldwide Flight Service, are vying for the ground handling licence, CAAS said.

Singapore Airport Terminal Services and Changi International Airport Services are currently the only ground handler and inflight caterers at Changi airport. - AFP

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Great news! But we have to remember it started with a low base last year...:D

Great news! But we have to remember it started with a low base last year...:D

I presume the passenger traffic will be back to about 2002(28 million) level....let's hope that the budget startup gives the traffic a lift......:D

May 11, 2004

Airport plans JB lounge, free transfers and 80,000-tonne cargo complex

By Chua Kong Ho

Something’s astir at Johor’s formerly sleepy Senai Airport.

The airport, located 30km north of Singapore, will open an airport lounge in the heart of Johor Baru next month.

It will also start free airport transfers to and from the city lounge, with a firm intention to draw Singapore travellers.

Mr Lars Gronsedt, Senai’s chief commercial officer, who was headhunted from Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk to spearhead Senai’s development, told Streats yesterday: “The plan is to eventually offer check-in services in our Johor Baru city lounge. We also wanted to make getting to Senai as convenient as possible for Singapore travellers.”

Senai will also take its first step towards challenging the might of Changi in air logistics by opening the first phase of its cargo complex on July 1, with a capacity to handle 80,000 tonnes of air freight a year.

In comparison, Changi handled 142,000 tonnes last month alone.

“Compared to Singapore, this is not significant,” Mr Gronsedt conceded.

“But this is also the first real air freight facility available in Senai. We hope it’ll grow very fast.”

Senai Airport Terminal Services, which took over the running of Senai Airport from the Malaysian government last November, is controlled by Malaysian tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, who also controls Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).

The low-profile businessman has an ambition to build an integrated air-sea-land logistics hub in Johor to rival Singapore.

Mr Gronsedt himself is intimately familiar with Singapore’s logistics strengths – and weaknesses.

He spent four years as Maersk Sealand’s Singapore general manager in charge of operations before being posted to Hong Kong in 1998. Maersk moved most of its transshipment business from Singapore to PTP in 2001.

His deputy in charge of air freight operations, Mr Noel Gulliver, was formerly general manager of Maersk Logistics Asia.

Yesterday, Mr Gronsedt told Streats of his two main objectives: to attract more airlines and passengers, and to persuade manufacturers to use Senai to ship Johor-made goods.

To achieve the first aim, he started a 30-day marketing blitz on Monday, giving away spa vouchers and other freebies to Singapore citizens and permanent residents using the airport.

Also on the cards: a facelift for the passenger terminal and duty-free shopping. Senai will add 400 new parking lots next month as well and install a new closed-circuit monitoring system to address security concerns.

“Singaporeans are concerned that they’ll lose their cars parking in Johor. At Senai, it’ll be as safe as parking at home,” he said.

Mr Gronsedt also disclosed that Senai is in talks with several airlines interested in using the Johor airport for international flights.

As for its fledgling cargo operations, Senai is taking a leaf out of PTP’s textbook. PTP was dismissed as a lightweight competitor until it managed to lure Evergreen Marine and Maersk Sealand from PSA in 2000 and 2001.

Senai, too, is looking to snare a big-name client to boost its credibility as a serious cargo operator.

And they don’t come much bigger than Flextronics, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, which has two factories doing plastic injection moulding and assembling computer peripherals and telecom equipment, located right next door to the airport.

Mr Gronsedt named Flextronics as one company Senai is actively courting to route some of its freight through the airport.

Currently, Flextronics ships all its goods through Changi, even though its factories are in Johor.

“Why would companies that have moved their manufacturing to Johor to take advantage of lower costs want to incur higher costs shipping through Singapore, now that they can do so cheaply right next door?” he asked.


Copyright © 2003 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isnt Flextronics a Singaporean company? :D

it's an american company based here i think.

it's an american company based here i think.
Hehe....I dont think so...it was mentioned as a Singaporean company somewhere in the ST months ago! :D

Hehe....I dont think so...it was mentioned as a Singaporean company somewhere in the ST months ago! :D

Maybe can refer to this website for the answer......:D

http://www.flextronics.com/

yeah.. it's recognised as singaporean company or whatever.. but i think it really came here from usa.. i read *somewhere* .. haha not sure though

oops double post

It was also rumoured that Lufthansa Cargo would shift operations to Johor, but huaiwei quashed it.

This one will have to depend on how Flextronix replies officially to their overtures. We shall see how it goes.

New restuarants and shops in changi airport.........

新闻：新加坡 2004-05-24
● 林顺华

　　不久后，你想到樟宜机场吃个汉堡包，或是喝咖啡、找美食，你不只发现选择更多，而且你还间接地在帮助樟宜机场维持它的国际竞争力。

两大快餐业者 机场“正面交锋”

从樟宜机场“消失”了5年的麦当劳快餐店将从8月起在机场重振雄风，两大快餐业者（汉堡包王和麦当劳）也就有史以来首次在机场“正面交锋”，让搭客和机场职员在一个屋檐下有不同选择。

　　此外，开放让公众走动的第二搭客大厦三楼，到了下个月底也会出现4家新餐馆；其中一家荣寿司（Sakae Sushi）刚在三天前开张营业。而过境厅内“樟宜美食街”的7家餐馆，全都在不久前“开档”招呼搭客。

　　不单如此，民航局现阶段正计划在机场开设更多餐馆，让在过境厅的搭客和公共场所的公众能更开心地祭五脏庙，同时也增加机场的“非航空业收入”(non-aeronautical revenue)。

　　民航局高级商业经理陆善行对本报指出，去年的非航空业收入占了民航局全年收入的60％；在10年前有关收入只是占了40％。在众多非航空业收入当中，从餐饮业和零售业缴付的部分营业收入（concession revenue） 便贡献了八成以上。其他的收入来源是办公室租金、停车场收费等。

　　“随着机场内的店面增加，更多商家便可到来营业，这方面的收入也就会增加。……我们今年将更积极推动餐饮业，借着翻新工程引进更多美食品牌及更多口味。”

　　如此一来，当局向航空公司收取的费用（如降落和停机费）将不再是主要的收入来源。而当局的非航空业收入增加后，才能继续“补贴”给竞争越来越激烈的民航业，为航空公司提供非常具竞争力的价格，保住樟宜机场的竞争优势。

　　另外，增加零售品牌和餐饮选择，也能让搭客和公众获得更美好的樟宜经历(Changi experience)，对樟宜机场情有独钟。

　　第二搭客大厦耗费2亿4000万元的翻新工程，让民航局把可供租用的店铺面积扩大了2100平方公尺，并在优越地点辟设更多店铺和餐馆。靠近地铁站的二楼离境厅，便是汉堡包王另起炉火的新地盘，同时还成为一些咖啡座的“落脚之地”。

　　至于汉堡包王的旧址，将成为麦当劳500平方公尺的新家。麦当劳同时也将在下个月出现在第一搭客大厦的过境厅内，24小时的快餐店还设McCafe咖啡馆。

　　陆善行表示，自机场在1981年启用至今，这将是汉堡包王和麦当劳首次在公众进出的“地盘”上公开竞争。

　　他指出，在为第二搭客大厦的快餐店进行招标时，当局特地为两个不同店铺同时招标，以吸引不同业者进场。“我们的最大目的是为搭客、公众和机场员工提供不同的选择。”

　　“一些外国游客较熟悉某个快餐品牌，所以便反映希望能在机场内吃到一些食品。”

　　针对即将投入营业的新店铺，麦当劳表示“作为一个国际品牌，麦当劳将提供一系列的不同餐饮选择，以便能满足本地旅客和外国游客的口味。”

　　目前，机场内有约110个零售店铺和40家餐馆，上个财政年的非航空业收入达5亿5700万元。


零售业贡献收入 比餐饮业更丰厚

据知，零售业所贡献的租金收入比餐饮业更丰厚。因此，机场免税区内的零售店铺也不断增加。

　　高档服装名牌如Gucci、Prada、Hugo Boss等都已在机场开设专卖店。香水及化妆品代理公司Nuance Watson，也在樟宜机场开设亚太区最大的免税店。

A recent visit to Changi Terminal 2, show more skylights.......

http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN0334.jpg
http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN0337.jpg

New cafe in duty free area.....
http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN0348.jpg

For the first picture, the wall is being covered up or what?

For the first picture, the wall is being covered up or what?

Yes, it is being covered up.......in fact the first pic is taken from the area which is still under construction......Public access to the area was only possble recently due to the opening of some new restuarants......

Yes, it is being covered up.......in fact the first pic is taken from the area which is still under construction......Public access to the area was only possble recently due to the opening of some new restuarants......
I just hope they dont suddenly seal it all off again before I can go down...haha

I just hope they dont suddenly seal it all off again before I can go down...haha

Hahaha....they won't lah.....there will be more restuatants coming up in that area so it will eventually be open up to the public......:D

looks better... got more pics?

Just one more shot here to demostrate the inteligent use of lights.....

http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN1279.jpg

How's T3 going?

Any new pics?

Just one picture for T3....taken from T1.....(26/5/04)

http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN0342.jpg

Wow ,looks massive! :eek:
Thanks!:)

Wow ,looks massive! :eek:
Thanks!:)

It should be massive as it is going to be twice as big as T1......:D

Wow ,so big?

But the bad news is ,it seems ,there would not be enough place to build a future T4.:(

oh they've reclaimed land for t4... or are reclaiming... as well as t5 i believe

So I suppose T4 would be on the other side of the runway?

The MRT entrance still looks taller. :D

So I suppose T4 would be on the other side of the runway?
Somewhere at Changi East....maybe they convert the airbase there to passenger in future? hahahaha

Wow ,so big?

But the bad news is ,it seems ,there would not be enough place to build a future T4.:(

I think they have already reclaimed a rather big piece of land for future T4 development, so not to worry....:D

Got airbase meh?

Got airbase meh?
Yeah...U/C now.

The MRT entrance still looks taller. :D

Its very tall for an MRT station. Are they going to use it for other things?

MAY 27, 2004

It is recruiting here because of locals' fluency in English

By Crystal Chan

THE allure of the Singapore Girl continues to attract foreign airlines.

At least four have Singaporeans as members of their cabin crew and, now, Qatar Airways is doing the same.

It held a two-day recruitment drive at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh on Monday and Tuesday.

South Korean-based cabin crew training and recruitment agency AVA Recruit International conducted the interviews after 240 people, three quarters of whom were women, responded to its May 5 advertisements in The Straits Times.

Half were shortlisted.

Mostly in their 20s, they were tested and interviewed to determine their height, weight, attitudes and fluency in English.

'Qatar Airways is hiring because it will have more flights to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. And it is hiring Singaporeans because many have a satisfactory command of English,' said Ms Ashley Chung, an AVA recruiter.

About 30 people will be hired, said Ms Chung.

Established in 1994, Qatar Airways, which has more than 1,200 cabin crew, opened its Singapore office in Paragon in December.

Each week, the airline has three flights from Singapore to the Qatar capital Doha and three to the Philippine city of Cebu.

It is also planning to recruit cabin crew in Manchester, Istanbul and Ireland, according to its website.

Successful candidates will receive a three-year contract, including housing in Doha, where all its cabin crew are based.

Their tax-free pay package is more than US$1,370 (S$2,340) a month and the cabin crew also receives hotel meal allowances.

Many of the candidates were either looking to work as flight attendants or were drawn to the prospect of living abroad.

Sales assistant Michelle Zhuo, 20, applied to SilkAir last year but was unsuccessful.

'I've always wanted to be an air stewardess and working for Qatar Airways gives me the opportunity to live abroad,' she said.

'I don't think I will be homesick, as I can return to Singapore when I'm off duty.'

Over the years, foreign airlines such as British Airways and Japan Airlines have hired Singaporeans as cabin crew.

In January, Dubai-based airline Emirates held a recruitment drive here as part of its plan to hire 1,000 cabin crew members worldwide.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

nah... the tall glass case just for show i guess...

Business Times - 31 May 2004

(SINGAPORE) Singapore and China beefed up their air links with a fifth passenger airline from the mainland starting flights to the Republic.

Shandong Airlines flew its maiden international flight into Singapore's Changi Airport on Saturday afternoon. It will be followed by a twice-weekly service, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

The frequency of flights to Singapore from China has mushroomed in recent years as the country's economy booms and its millions of citizens are more able to stretch their wings.

China's government has made it easier for its citizens to get passports and foreign currency, and it has increased the number of approved destinations for Chinese tour parties.

Additionally, many countries have eased restrictions on visas for Chinese nationals.

Singapore, with its majority ethnic Chinese population, has become a popular overseas destination for Chinese travellers.

In 1998, 293,000 Chinese visited Singapore. By 2002, Chinese arrivals had more than doubled to 670,000, according to data from the Singapore Tourist Board.

The CAAS said there are now eight passenger airlines at Changi flying to 12 cities in China.

Shandong Airlines will fly twice-weekly services between Jinan and Singapore via Shenzhen. - AP

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

So it flies to Singapore via Shenzhen? Wont that mean competiting with all those airlines already flying from Shenzhen?

JUNE 1, 2004

Johor seeks to increase patients at its 12 hospitals

By Karamjit Kaur

THE Malaysian state of Johor, which is forging ahead with plans to help its Senai Airport have a bigger bite of the air passenger and cargo pie, is eyeing the health tourism market too.

The chairman of Johor's Tourism and Environment Committee, Mr Freddie Long, indicated its ambitious plans yesterday at a media conference at the official opening of Senai Airport's new lounge in Johor Baru.

The state, which has 12 hospitals, wants to increase the number of patients they get and is targeting those from Indonesia in particular.

About 55,000 Indonesians visited Malaysia for medical treatment last year.

Close to half went to Malacca for treatment.

Mr Long said Senai Airport, which is about 30km north of Singapore, would be used as the entry point into Malaysia.

The airport, Changi Airport's closest challenger, handled 600,000 passengers in the first five months of the year.

Three in 10 of its passengers came from Singapore.

By August, when its $22 million air cargo complex will open, it plans to make a push for more of the air freight market as well.

The new complex will be able to handle 80,000 tonnes of freight a year.

Mr Long stressed that the plans to transform Senai from a sleepy town into a transport, logistics and medical hub are not an attempt to challenge the might of Changi Airport or Singapore.

'Changi has its own efficiencies with world standards,' he said.

'Senai is a child and you can't compare a child with an adult. But of course a child also has his own ambitions,' he added.

Still, observers say that competition would be inevitable if Senai sets out to develop the same capabilities Singapore is aiming for.

For example, many businesses at the Johor town's industrial park now move their goods through Changi.

And it is these businesses that Mr Mohamad Sidik Shaik Osman, director of Senai Airport Terminal Services, is hoping to win over.

He told The Straits Times: 'They came because of our low costs, so why would they want to pay more and send their goods through Singapore if we can offer them good service?'

He would not discuss potential clients, only saying that talks are on about using Senai's cargo facilities.

Last year, Changi Airport saw close to 25 million passengers compared to its Senai counterpart's of about one million.

And while Senai Airport's long-term goal is to handle 500,000 tonnes of cargo a year, Changi dealt with more than 1.6 million tonnes last year.

The team that developed the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) into a world-class facility will be working to make Senai Airport 'the pride of Johor'.

Senai Airport Terminal Services, which took over the running of the airport from the Malaysian government last November, is controlled by Malaysian tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, who also controls PTP.

While analysts expect some of Changi Airport's cargo business to move to Senai, they do not see Johor's ambitions posing a significant threat to Singapore's viability.

For instance, Mr Paul Coughlin, managing director of Standard & Poor's Asia-Pacific corporate and government ratings department, said: 'Competitors will come and peel off some of the business here and there, but I don't think any port or airport in the region can seriously compete with PSA Corporation and Changi.'

Singapore 'can't expect to forever dominate all market segments', he added, and while there is better connectivity in the Republic, some companies may move to Senai 'if the price is right'.

As for attracting the medical dollar, Singapore and Malaysia are not alone in their ambitions, Mr Coughlin said.

He pointed out that other countries, such as Thailand, India and Hong Kong, are also players in this 'very competitive' game.


Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 02 Jun 2004

Air cargo venture plans to set up operations at KLIA and Senai initially

By EDDIE TOH
IN KUALA LUMPUR

A NEW air freight unit of Lufthansa Cargo will join forces with Malaysian no-frills carrier AirAsia to set up operations at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Senai Airport, which is being developed by a Malaysian tycoon to rival Singapore's Changi Airport.

AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes told BT yesterday the new venture with Lufthansa's cargo counts will focus on Senai in Johor and KLIA, although it will eventually cover all major airports in Malaysia.

No other details were available yesterday ahead of a signing ceremony and news conference tomorrow. Malaysian Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy will witness the event in the Malaysian capital, AirAsia said yesterday.

It is unclear whether the partnership with cargo counts, which was set up by Lufthansa in December 2003, will affect the German carrier's existing air freight operations in Singapore. Nils Haupt, vice-president of corporate communications at Lufthansa Cargo, said yesterday that he could not comment.

Although details remain sketchy, the joint venture may encompass more than Lufthansa Cargo's earlier plan for a mere sales office at Senai.

In January the German company said it would open a sales office there on Feb 1 to cater to growing demand for air cargo services in Malaysia. The office will be represented by its general sales agent Airlines GSA, a subsidiary of Singapore-listed AirOcean Group.

Lufthansa Cargo - the world's largest air freight company - also said it had no intention of moving its base from Singapore to Johor.

The company issued the statement after BT reported exclusively then that Senai owner Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary was in advanced talks to woo Lufthansa Cargo to set up base at the airport.

Lufthansa Cargo's credentials are impressive. It handled 1.63 million tonnes of freight and mail worldwide in 2002 - more than the 1.43 million tonnes shipped through Singapore that year.

Besides his grand plan for Senai in Johor, Syed Mokhtar is wooing more liners to cross from Singapore to his Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in the same state.

Two major liners - Maersk Sealand and Evergreen Marine - have migrated to PTP from Singapore in the past four years.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 03 June 2004 1835 hrs

By N K Chan, Channelnewsasia.com

SINGAPORE : Austrian Airlines has started flying non-stop to Singapore, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said on Thursday.

The thrice-weekly service connects Vienna to Singapore and onward to the Australian city of Melbourne, CAAS said in a statement.

The first direct Austrian Airlines flight landed in Singapore's Changi Airport on Thursday.

The CAAS said in a statement that Austrian Airlines' latest service establishes Vienna as a direct city link for Singapore, and enhances Changi Airport's connectivity to central and eastern Europe.

Mr Vagn Sorensen, the airline's CEO said, "Singapore is not only an excellent hub but also a very interesting target destination for both business people and tourists."

Mr Chiang Hai Eng, Deputy Director-General (Operations), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, said the latest air link "augurs well for greater trade, tourism and investment flows between Austria and Singapore and for the respective regions as well."

Since the start of the year, Changi Airport has seen five airlines commence operations.

Currently, Changi Airport is served by over 70 airlines with some 3,400 weekly scheduled flights linking Singapore to more than 160 cities around the world.-CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

were they flying to singapore at all before?

JUNE 5, 2004

Pact on unlimited access for passenger services between the Republic, Brunei and Thailand is expected in 2 to 3 months

By Karamjit Kaur

SINGAPORE, Brunei and Thailand are in talks to expand their air links for passenger services, a key stepping stone to the lifting of all restrictions within Asean and which will boost business for Changi Airport.

According to the Transport Ministry here, which has long championed an open skies policy and greater competition between airlines, the deal is expected to be sealed in two to three months' time.

The trio's regional agreement will give their national carriers the right to fly to any point within their territories, with no limits on the frequency of flights and number of passengers they can carry.

The airlines will also be able to use the three countries as springboards to destinations in other states.

Currently, Singapore carriers can fly to a specific number of destinations from Thailand, although the two countries have a deal which allows unlimited two-way services between them.

For example, Singapore Airlines has a daily Singapore-Bangkok-Osaka service and flies five times a week from Singapore to Seoul via Bangkok.

However, the Republic already has an open skies policy with Brunei. The sultanate, in turn, has an existing agreement with Thailand that allows for a maximum of 14 flights a week between the two countries.

For travellers, the new deal should result in more choice of flights and carriers and, with greater competition, cheaper fares. But the real benefits will come when more Asean member countries join in, and that is what Singapore's Transport Ministry is gunning for.

'We encourage as many countries to join in as and when they are ready to do so,' said its spokesman.

As for the current proposed deal, lifting all restrictions between the three countries is significant as it opens the door for more airlines to fly here and will hopefully encourage more countries to be as liberal in their air service agreements.

So far, Singapore has inked open skies deals with the United States, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Brunei, Chile, Peru and the United Arab Emirates. The more countries it secures deals with, the better. But progress at the negotiating table can be slow as governments worry about their national carriers' bottom lines in an open market.

The Singapore-Brunei-Thailand open skies pact will be the second such deal since last October's proposal by the Singapore and Thai prime ministers to let any Asean-initiated policy or proposal proceed as long as it is backed by any two member countries.

In February, the same three countries inked an agreement allowing their airlines to operate unlimited all-cargo services on any route between them.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

were they flying to singapore at all before?
Cant remember, but I think Lauda Air used to fly the route. they are codesharing it now?

JUNE 6, 2004

S'pore is commited to growing the aviation industry and keeping costs down, DPM Lee tells its key players

BIDDING for a bigger slice of aviation's future, Singapore made a strong pitch last night to the industry's movers and shakers, here for the International Air Transport Association's 60th annual general meeting and the World Air Transport Summit.

In his pitch to the chiefs of the world's major airlines and other key players in an industry shaken in recent years, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong set out exactly why they should continue to put their faith - and money - in Singapore and Changi Airport.

'The Government has a clear policy imperative - to attract airlines to Singapore, grow the traffic, and strengthen Changi's airport hub status,' he said.

Singapore expects traffic to grow, he said, and is taking concrete steps to support the growth of the aviation industry. It also intends to keep costs down and efficiency high, though Changi's airport charges are already the second lowest in Asia.

Speaking at the Iata Board of Governors dinner last night at the Asian Civilisations Museum, he gave the four key pillars that capture the Government's vision and its concrete plans.

First, Changi Airport intends to expand and improve its facilities, upgrading its two terminals, building a third and considering a fourth, for low-cost carriers. By 2008, it will be able to handle 64 million passengers a year.

Changi, he said, will continue to actively engage the airlines and help them 'grow their business at Changi'.

Singapore will maintain its liberal air transport policy, to encourage airlines to fly here.

It must also continue to have a strong national carrier in Singapore Airlines. He emphasised that the state, despite being SIA's majority owner, does not interfere in its commercial operations, or 'impose national service obligations... nor do we give SIA subsidies'. 'We do not believe in shutting out foreign airlines to shield SIA from competition.'

His comments might well have been a firm rebuttal of persistent accusations by other airlines that SIA gets tax and other breaks from the Government.

Earlier in the day, Star Alliance, the world's largest airline network, announced three new members - South African Airways, TAP Air Portugal and its first regional member, Finnish airline Blue1. It now has 18 members which can sell seats on each other's routes and whose passengers can accumulate frequent flyer miles on any member airline.

With this expansion, its chief executive officer Jaan Albrecht said that the grouping will be able to continue to keep air fares competitive.

At the same event SIA boss Chew Choon Seng said the airline may buy Boeing's new 7E7 Dreamliner as part of a 50-plane fleet renewal and expansion programme.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 06 June 2004 2115 hrs

By Ca-Mie De Souza, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong says having a dedicated budget carrier terminal makes little difference to low-cost airlines operating in Singapore.

He has said Singapore would build one if there is demand, but so far Tiger Airways is the only budget carrier to have expressed interest in such a dedicated terminal.

On Sunday, Mr Yeo said that once the low-cost carriers (LCCs) confirm their request, the government can immediately build the low-cost carrier terminal.

Mr Yeo said: "I don't think the presence or absence of a LCC terminal will make a significant difference to the LCCs operating here. Having a LCC terminal will help reduce a few dollars but it's not a make-or-break decision - which is why, I suppose, Tiger Airways is taking its time and which is also why the other airlines have expressed no such interest."

Turning to passenger traffic figures for the first four months of this year, Mr Yeo said if the healthy trend continues, this could be a record year for Singapore.

Up to April 2004, 9.43 million passengers went through Changi Airport.

The figure exceeded that for the same SARS-hit period last year as well as the first four months of 2002. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Business Times - 07 Jun 2004

The customer always comes first at Changi

The airport is constantly upgrading to provide better facilities for travellers while at the same time helping airlines to tide over difficult times

SINGAPORE Changi Airport has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1981.

With its two terminals, Changi currently has a handling capacity of 44 million passengers a year. The Changi Airfreight Centre, with a capacity of 2.5 million tonnes, also provides round-the-clock services in a Free Trade Zone. An Airport Logistics Park has also been established to facilitate the distribution and rapid turnaround of goods. Today, there are over 70 airlines serving more than 3,400 weekly scheduled flights to 162 cities in 52 countries.

As an aviation hub in the region, Changi Airport is widely recognised as one of the best in the world, receiving a total of 20 awards and accolades from international organisations and publications.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), which manages Changi Airport, is the conductor behind the success of Changi. CAAS adopts a customer-centric approach in serving the needs of its airline partners and air travellers.

It aims to create a conducive environment for its airline partners to operate profitably, while at the same time pampering air travellers, who will enjoy spending time at Changi.

The partnership approach towards airlines can be seen in the manner CAAS responded during difficult times. Following the Asian financial crisis in 1998, CAAS introduced a 10 per cent rebate in aircraft landing fees in 1999. Following the slowdown in the world economy and the Sept 11 incident in 2001, CAAS introduced a $210 million Air Hub Development Fund (AHDF).

The AHDF, effective from January last year to end-2005, saw the introduction of a 15 per cent rebate in aircraft landing fees and office and warehouse rents. Funds were also set aside for joint marketing activities. The AHDF has brought down Changi's aeronautical charges to be the second lowest in the region.

The outbreak of Sars last year saw airlines suffer when the demand for air travel plummetted as travellers were afraid of catching the virus. CAAS acted swiftly to provide assistance to airlines, introducing a $114 million Sars relief package from May to December 2003 to lessen the financial burdens on its airline partners. The relief package brought aircraft landing fees down by another 30 per cent to a total of 45 per cent, and office and warehouse rents by another 10 per cent to a total of 25 per cent.

CAAS also introduced a four-month $10 million Air Traffic Development Scheme to help airlines boost traffic recovery after Singapore was removed for the World Health Organisation's (WHO) list of Sars-affected areas.

After the Sars relief package expired in December last year, CAAS introduced a $40 million Growth Incentive Scheme (GIS), which is effective from January this year to end-2005. The GIS rewards airlines for increasing their passenger traffic to and through Changi Airport. Under this performance-based scheme, airlines will enjoy incentives according to the traffic growth they manage to achieve at Changi Airport. For example, if an airline's 2004 passenger traffic exceeds that in 2003, it will receive incentives for the incremental passenger traffic.

For 2005, the airlines will similarly receive incentives if they show positive results over the previous years. Recognising that ground handling charges make up a significant portion of an airline's costs in an airport, CAAS is also issuing a third licence for ground handling and inflight catering. This will give airlines more choices and lower their ground handling costs at the same time.

Changi Airport's customer-centric approach also applies to the air traveller. At Changi Airport, travellers will find it a breeze to pass their time.

For those who are in a hurry, Changi is efficient, with travellers being able to pass through the various airport processes with ease. For example, an arriving passenger would take about 30 minutes from the time he leaves the aircraft to the time he collects his baggage and clears through customs checks.

For those who have some time to spare before their flight, they will find a myriad of facilities and services that will help them enjoy their stay in Changi. Those who are interested in health and fitness activities can make use of the rooftop swimming pool, the gym, or get a much needed massage at the Shower, Fitness and Lifestyle centre, the Rainforest By SATS or at the Chair Spa.

Travellers who are nature lovers have a choice of gardens to bask in the tranquility of nature, including a cactus garden, an orchid garden, a sunflower garden and a palm and fern garden. For entertainment, travellers can catch a movie at the movie theatre, watch various programmes at the many television lounges, or even join the Free Singapore Tour if they have at least five hours in transit.

And for those who want some form of IT or business facilities, there are more than 200 PCs located throughout the two terminals offering free Internet access to travellers. This is especially useful for those who wish to check their e-mail or surf the Internet.

Travellers with their own laptops or personal digital assistants can connect to the Internet easily, as the whole airport has a wireless network providing broadband connection.

Besides such facilities, Changi also organises events to entertain air travellers. Currently, Changi is organising an auction, the first of its kind in an airport.

In the Changi auction - What's Your Bid - travellers get to bid for selected retail items available at the airport. The starting bids for these items can start as low as 50 per cent off airport retail prices.

This means participating travellers can get a good bargain if no one manages to outbid them. Some of the items up for auction include a Risis Egg (retail price: S$81, starting bid: S$35), a pair of Risis chopsticks (retail price: S$86, starting bid: S$35), a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses (retail price: S$152.35, starting bid: S$76), and a Bonia black leather handbag (retail price: S$299.90, starting bid: S$150).

The Changi auction is held four times - every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening - and ends on June 25.

The annual Changi Sale is also on until June 25. The sale comprises discounts and special offers from over 90 outlets at both terminals.

For example, passengers can enjoy up to 15 per cent off all books, 50 per cent off jewellery, 15 per cent off toys, among other discounts. There are also gifts with purchase offers such as a Levi's windbreaker, a Swarovski tote bag and a pair of Raoul polycarbonate cufflinks.

Changi Airport opened with one terminal in 1981. Today, it has two passenger terminal buildings with the construction of a third underway. Terminal 3 is expected to be completed in 2008. This will add another 20 million passengers to the handling capacity, bringing the total to about 64 million passengers a year by then.

Terminal 2 is also currently undergoing a $240 million upgrading, which will see significant improvements to its design, making it even more user-friendly to airport users and businesses. The upgrading will also add capacity to the departure/transit lounge, enhancing Changi's position as a regional aviation hub.

When completed, the upgraded Terminal 2 will have a new glass facade bringing natural light into the departure hall.

A new canopy above the kerbside at the departure hall will be extended outwards to ensure that airport users are shielded from the rain when alighting from their vehicles. The interior of the terminal will also be re-organised to make it easier for airport users to find their way around.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 07 June 2004 1821 hrs

By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia

Singapore has urged the international community to liberalise aviation rules and remove unnecessary restrictions on air travel.

Addressing some 700 CEOs and senior aviation executives at the World Air Transport Summit, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong urged governments to provide the space and flexibility for airlines to tap the growth in air traffic.

However this should not mean protecting national carriers.

Sixty years ago the aviation world agreed that international air travel should be governed by bilateral air services agreements.

Unfortunately, the result has been that many countries now jealously protect their national airlines by restricting market access to foreign carriers.

Mr Goh said: "They believe this will ensure the survival of their national icons. By depriving their people and visitors of extensive air links, these countries are losing out on spin-off benefits from the air travel industry. The result is loss of valuable investment and tourism dollars"

But some countries still believe in protection.

Avelino Zapanta, President and CEO, Philippine Airlines, said: "You have nothing to lose if you ask for the entire world to open up. But many other countries like the Philippines with a huge outbound market is not exactly happy with such a situation. Because it could mean that we could lose our originating traffic."

But Singapore sees things differently.

PM Goh said: "We have never protected Singapore Airlines. We will continue to welcome foreign carriers to fly here in open competition with our national carriers. Where our national carriers lose through lack of protection, Changi Airport gains. Singapore's connectivity and air hub status are of higher national priority than our airlines."

The International Air Transport Association or IATA is meeting in Singapore amidst much better times after various setbacks like September 11, SARS and economic slowdowns.

And it forecasts that by 2010 airlines will carry some 600 million more passengers and many of them will take to the skies on budget airlines.

Low cost carriers have captured a quarter of the US market, 11 percent of Europe and their presence is now being felt in Asia.

To meet this intensive competition traditional airlines are trimming unnecessary frills and improving efficiency.

The result, says Mr Goh, price gaps will narrow and eventually blur the lines between full service and low cost carriers.

But this means airports also have to cut costs.

Singapore has already said that it will build a low cost carrier terminal if budget carriers are interested.

Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Chairman and CEO, Lufthansa, said: "We should have more freedom in terms of capital ownerships, in terms of traffic rights and we must ensure that the value chain is organised in a way that not we are doing the flying and others in the value chain are making the money." - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

This story was printed from TODAYonline

Tuesday • June 8, 2004

The Government will not protect Singapore Airlines (SIA) at the expense of Changi Airport's hub status, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday. He told an airline industry conference here that Singapore's connectivity and hub status were of higher national priority.

"We have never protected Singapore Airlines. We will continue to welcome foreign carriers to fly here in open competition with our national carriers. Where our national carriers lose through lack of protection, Changi Airport gains," said Mr Goh, who urged the international community to liberalise aviation rules.

Noting that many countries protected their national airlines jealously by restricting market access to foreign carriers, he said: "By depriving their people and visitors of extensive air links, these countries are losing out on spin-off benefits from the air travel industry. The result is a loss of valuable investment and tourism dollars."

But for now, Asian airlines face entrenched protective measures from countries in the region.

One senior executive at an Indian airline said getting licences for take-off and landing slots for his airline in other countries has been difficult.

Agreeing, SIA chief executive Chew Choon Seng told the forum that SIA has faced difficulties in getting "desired" airline slots as well, in cities such as Hyderabad in India. — Kevin Tan

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 08 Jun 2004

Austrian Air wants to go big in Asia with daily services
By GEORGE JOSEPH

(SINGAPORE) If Austrian Airlines CEO Vagn Sorensen has his way, the latest airline to fly here will have 'double-daily' flights through Changi in no time.

That is his plan for Austrian Air's future operations here, after the airline started a thrice weekly service to Singapore last week. The non-stop flights from Vienna arrive early in the morning and go onward to Melbourne.

Mr Sorensen said he aims to see all the carrier's services in Asia, including in Singapore, going daily both ways as soon as possible and he is confident of achieving it as he considers Australia as one of the European airline's niche markets.

'There's a large community of Eastern European ethnic migrants to Australia for whom we are a popular carrier and we are stepping up our services (to Australia) to nine daily flights,' he said.

Japan is another niche market as more Japanese visit the 'cultural' destinations in Europe.

Austria is well known for its concert halls and theatres and capital Vienna is known as the 'city of the sound of music'.

The airline, a member of the Star Alliance, is going 'pretty big' in Asia, Mr Sorensen told BT, while here for the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting.

He added that Singapore is an 'interesting target' for both tourists and business people from Europe, who can also use Changi as an 'excellent hub' for onward travel to other Asian cities.

'Singapore is a Star Alliance hub for us, and so we can code share and develop joint products with our airline partners,' he said.

Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Thai Airways are among prominent airline members of the grouping which this week announced it is taking in three more partners, South African Airways, TAP Air Portugal and Finland's Blue1.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Austrian Air's latest service establishes Vienna as a direct link city for Singapore, enhancing Changi Airport's connectivity to central and eastern Europe.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

JUNE 10, 2004

Changi passenger traffic doubles on year in May

SINGAPORE - Passenger traffic at Singapore's Changi Airport more than doubled in May against the same month last year when the Republic was reeling from the effects of the war in Iraq and the Sars outbreak, the aviation authority said on Thursday.

Asia's fourth-busiest air hub handled 2.38 million passengers last month, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said in a statement.

In May 2003, the number of passengers fell to just 1 million from 2.39 million in 2002, as the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome decimated air travel across Asia. The war in Iraq prompted a drop in global air passenger numbers.

The virus killed 33 from 238 infected in Singapore and killed 774 of over 8,000 sickened worldwide.

The Singapore airport said it handled 17.3 per cent more air cargo volumes last month at 147,718 tonnes compared with 125,909 tonnes in May 2003.

Singapore's aviation industry accounts for around 9 per cent of the Republic's US$95 billion economy. -- AP

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

JUNE 11, 2004
Numbers suggest a bumper year for Changi
With the airport actively wooing carriers, passenger, cargo and flight volumes are on an upswing, surpassing pre-Sars levels

By Karamjit Kaur

CHANGI AIRPORT should end the year strongly, as key performance indicators - passenger traffic, cargo volume, number of airlines and city links - have surpassed even pre-Sars levels.

And the number of flights a week is back to what it was before the virus hit.

In the first five months of the year, Changi handled 11.8 million passengers, or 30 per cent more than in the comparable period last year.

This is 1 per cent more than in January to May 2002, the first five months of what was a record year.

If the trend holds, this could be a bumper year, with passenger traffic expected to exceed 30 million.

Last month alone, Changi handled 2.38 million passengers, more than double the one million registered in May last year.

In 2002, the year before Sars hit, it handled 29 million passengers, the most since its opening in 1981, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said yesterday.

The cargo business is also doing well, with January-to-May traffic reaching 706,603 tonnes, 10 per cent higher than a year ago, and more than 8 per cent higher than for the same spell in 2002. Last month, the airport dealt with 147,718 tonnes of cargo, 17.3 per cent more than in May last year.

The number of flights handled per week - another key indicator - has exceeded 3,400, on par with the pre-Sars level.

The numbers look promising for Changi as it competes with airports such as those in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Hong Kong to be the premier Asian air hub.

What they show is that the incentives offered to attract more airlines to fly here are working.

Take, for example, last October's announcement of cash rewards for airlines that bring extra travellers to Changi Airport. More than $40 million has been set aside for this scheme, which began in January.

Since the year started, Cambodia Airlines, Valuair, Thai AirAsia, Shandong Airlines and Austrian Airlines have started flights from Singapore.

That's five in five months, compared with five in the whole of last year.

The additions bring to 71 the number of carriers flying out of Changi, compared with a pre-Sars total of 64.

This gives passengers more options for connecting flights, because Changi is now linked to 162 cities, compared with 134 in April last year before the full impact of the virus was felt.

The rest of the year looks just as promising, said DBS Vickers aviation analyst Chris Sanda, noting that consumer sentiments are high and private-sector forecasts are predicting the economy will grow by 7 per cent this year.

He said: 'The current numbers are encouraging and a stong economy brings with it good prospects for growth in business travel.'

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 15 Jun 2004

S'pore boosts air and tourism links with Chongqing city

SINGAPORE - Singapore is now linked to the bustling city of Chongqing in southwest China as SilkAir operates a non-stop twice weekly service to the Chinese city.

The new connection to Chongqing will further boost air, tourism and trade ties between Singapore and China.

With Chongqing, Changi Airport is now linked to 14 cities in China.

Mr Wong Woon Liong, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said China is one of the fastest growing segments for Changi in terms of the number of weekly services with 144 services a week between Changi and the various Chinese cities.

Visitor arrivals from China jumped 17 per cent in April 2004 when compared to the corresponding period in 2002.

Since 2002, approximately 8,000 people from Chongqing visit Singapore each year for tour, business and education.

The Singapore Tourism Board has also eased the visa application process for Chongqing visitors by authorising Chongqing Yangtze International Travel Service and Chongqing Overseas Tourist Corp Ltd to issue Singapore visas in Chongqing.

Previously, Chongqing visitors had to first travel to another city to apply for visa and take flights to Singapore.

Chongqing is often described as southwest China's commercial capital.

The city is China's fourth municipality and comes under the direct control of the central government.

It is the major port of the upper Yangtze River and the gateway to the famous Three Gorges region, making the city a significant centre of tourism.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 17 June 2004 1934 hrs

SATS to double stake in Hong Kong air cargo terminal operator

SINGAPORE : Singapore Airport Terminal Services said on Thursday it has agreed to double its stake in Hong Kong-based airport ground handler Asia Airfreight Terminal Co Ltd.

The Singapore firm will acquire the 24.5 percent stake in Asia Airfreight currently held by Changi International Airport Services Pte Ltd for S$75 million, or US$44 million.

The deal will double Singapore Airport Terminal Services Ltd's stake in the Hong Kong company to 49 percent, making it the single largest shareholder.

Asia Airfreight holds a 20 percent market share in Hong Kong International Airport and serves 23 airlines. Its current franchise arrangement with the Hong Kong Airport Authority has been extended to July 2028.

Singapore Airport Terminal Services is one of two ground handlers at Changi Airport. - AFP

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

This story was printed from TODAYonline

Tapping on Senai the way to fly high

Wednesday • June 23, 2004

Prithpal Singh

As a pilot, I am familiar with Senai Airport in Johor.

Over a period of 20 years, I have seen it grow from a little ramshackle terminal to a glass-and-marble one and the runway lengthened to accommodate B747 aircraft.

Mr Lars Gronsedt, the airport's chief commercial officer, is a former senior executive with shipping giant Maersk. He has lived in Singapore for five years, knows what Singaporeans want and is providing it.

This includes a large secured car-park complex, an executive coach transport service and a deluxe city terminal in Johor Baru.

The passenger terminal building at Senai Airport is being made more spacious with shopping at the "lowest guaranteed" duty free prices.

Mr Gronsedt is determined to improve on the number of Singaporeans using the airport, which represented 30 per cent of the total passengers who travelled through Senai last month. He is also busy putting the finishing touches to a new 38,000-sq-ft cargo hangar which will be able to cater to four wide-body freighter aircraft at any one time.

Normally, such ambitious plans would ring alarm bells in Singapore. But my recent visit to Senai Airport revealed that Singapore needs to be less defensive about the airport and look, instead, to working with Senai on opportunities for mutual benefit — of which there may be many.

Consider the following points:

• Senai is hoping to attract between six million and seven million passengers by 2020; Changi already handles 28 million passengers

• Senai's cargo capacity of 80,000 tonnes a year pales in comparison to Changi's six mammoth cargo terminals with the capacity to handle over 2 million tonnes

• Senai has only one runway and this needs to be lengthened and strengthened if it is to accommodate a fully-laden B747 freighter aircraft. Courier companies such as DHL and UPS will only hub out of airports with at least two runways — for quick arrivals and departures

• Senai has no aircraft maintenance facilities, while Changi has one of the best in Asia — even AirAsia's planes are maintained in Singapore!

So, why all the fuss over Senai?

Senai Airport is a privately-owned commercial venture which must produce a return on investment.

The Senai Airport Terminal Services (Seat) will not be reckless in wanting to go head-on with Changi.

Instead, it will concentrate on carving a certain niche for itself.

If we play this right, Changi Airport and Singapore could leverage on Senai to enhance our hub status.

Our success could be Senai's success and vice versa.

Make Senai our ally against the more aggressive and likely-to-succeed hubs such as Bangkok, a far more potent threat.

We should work with Senai to capitalise on two things it has that we do not — plenty of land and lower costs — and one thing we have that Senai does not — connectivity.

Inevitably, as more airlines fly into Senai, we should make travel between Senai and Singapore as easy and seamless as possible, so that we can get a share of their foreign arrivals.

Let's even be innovative and ask the Malaysians to allow Singapore customs and immigration to be located at Senai Airport, so that a Singapore-bound flight could use Senai and the passengers could travel on to Singapore in bonded buses — doing away with the double-clearance hassle.

Senai could become the low-cost airline airport for Singapore.

Our maintenance facilities at Changi are bursting at the seams and we are running out of land to build more cargo terminals. We could continue this expansion at Senai. Certain types of cargo, such as dairy and agricultural produce, may be better suited for handling at Senai, for example.

All this could be under Singapore ownership and management and in partnership with Senai.

Senai is a much more natural hub for all flights to Malaysian destinations than Changi could ever be. We cannot duplicate the potential network and lower airfares offered from Senai.

If the Government Investment Corporation of Singapore can buy into a shopping mall in Johor Baru, what is stopping the rest of Singapore from working with Senai?

The writer is an aviation consultant and vice-president of Hotel Properties Ltd.

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

^

Very optimistic perspective by the author....I think we should still focus on cutting costs at Changi to make it stay competitive...

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 26 June 2004 1624 hrs

Singapore, S Lanka should try to reach 'open skies' accord: PM Goh
By Channel NewsAsia's reporter S Ramesh reporting from Colombo

COLOMBO: Singapore and Sri Lanka should try and reach an 'open skies' agreement to help boost trade and tourism between the two countries, says Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

Mr Goh, who arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday on the last leg of his three-nation South Asian tour, met business and political leaders.

In talks with the country's leaders such as President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mr Goh urged them to complement peace efforts with pro-business and pro-market policies.

Both countries are looking to boost good and long-standing ties.

Singapore and Sri Lanka have much to gain from working together, said Mr Goh, and one good sign in this direction is the on-going discussions to conclude a free trade agreement between both countries.

The discussions started in October last year.

PM Goh said: "Once you have this free trade agreement, symbolically, you are telling foreign investors that the economy is prepared to be opened up and liberalised. Tariffs will be brought down and local investors will not be protected. They have to compete against foreign investments."

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said: "My government's policies are designed to build a modern market-friendly economy, free from corruption and aimed at providing equal opportunities for every citizen."

Links between Singapore and Sri Lanka go back a long way to legends, said Mr Goh.

"The name 'Sinhala' or 'Island of Lions' bears similarities with my country's old name, 'Singapura' or 'Lion City'."

And, President Kumaratunga recalled that before Singapore's independance, a large number of Sri Lankan teachers, doctors and lawyers had settled in the country. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 28 June 2004 0743 hrs

Manila seeks Airbus operations transfer from Singapore

MANILA - The Philippine government will provide incentives to Airbus Industrie if it transfers some of its maintenance operations in Singapore to the Philippines, Clark International Airport Corp president Adelberto Yap said on Sunday.

Manila is courting the European aircraft maker to set up a regional maintenance site for Asia at Clark, the former regional headquarters of the United States Air Force.

"Given that Airbus is launching a new wide-bodied, double-decker aircraft in the next three years, it is looking at sites where it could do some repair and maintenance work aside from Singapore," Mr Yap said.

He did not discuss the offer in detail.

Mr Yap said Clark's strategic location - less than 100 kilometres north of Manila - could be a plus factor.

It has two parallel, 3.2km runways which can accommodate large aircraft and a passenger terminal building which can serve 500 passengers an hour or 1.5 million a year.

Airbus is building the world's biggest commercial aircraft, dubbed the A380.

The double-decker plane will be launched in 2006 with Singapore Airlines as the launch customer. - AFP

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 29 June 2004 1920 hrs

Swissport awarded Changi Airport's third ground-handling licence
By Melvin Yong, Channel NewsAsia


SINGAPORE : The Singapore government has awarded Zurich-based Swissport International the third ground handling licence for Changi Airport.

Swissport pipped the Texas-based Worldwide Flight Services for the 10-year licence, which starts next year.

Competition is heating up for ground handlers at Changi Airport.

From next year, Swissport will start providing services like passenger check-in, baggage handling and cargo handling.

That will put it in direct competition with the two existing ground handlers -- Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) and Changi International Airport Services (CIAS).

In awarding the licence to Swissport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said it considered factors like the firm's experience, track record and business plans, and vision for the operations at Changi Airport.

CAAS wants to create more competition to reduce ground handling costs.

In line with that, the aviation regulator will be restructuring the franchise fees for the ground handling business at Changi.

This will save ground handlers S$10 million a year.

Changi's ground-handling business is worth an estimated S$1.2 billion.

Air passenger and airfreight traffic at Changi Airport have risen in the first five months of this year, compared to the January to May period of 2003 and 2002.

CAAS says the tender for the third flight catering licence is currently being evaluated. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 30 June 2004 2245 hrs

Spider-Man stunt at Changi Airport Control Tower to launch new show
By Patwant Singh, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : 'Spider-Man 2' opens at cinemas islandwide this week but even before the comic super-hero hits the silver screen, he was spotted scaling the Changi Airport control tower.

This is the first time anyone has been allowed to do this.

The stunt was in conjunction with some special performances being staged at Changi Airport.

And where better to stage such a stunt than the 80-metre tall airport control tower, one of the most recognisable Singapore icons.

Changi Airport hopes its latest Spider-Man stunt will help it to beat the competition and cast its web wider in attracting passengers from around the world.

Tourists passing through Changi Airport for the next few days will be entertained by a half-hour live performance.

Spider-Man's nemesis Dr Octopus and the villain's side-kick Electro were also part of the action -- not forgetting the obligatory damsel in distress and some well choreographed fight scenes to keep tourists entertained.

"It's good promotion, very well acted," one tourist said.

"Yes, it's really good because you are waiting around and nothing to do," another said.

"Most importantly it is to make our customers who wait at the airport feel that Changi Airport is different, memorable and their stay at the airport is short and sweet," said Foo Sek Min, deputy director (airport management) at Changi Airport. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd


JULY 1, 2004
Spidey hangs out at Changi
THE iconic control tower at Changi Airport became a comic book superhero's playground yesterday.

In a one-off publicity stunt, held to promote a series of performances in the airport transit lounges, Spider-Man was seen to scale up and down the 80m-tall tower - albeit with the help of a rope.

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-07-01/p4b.jpg
-- CHEW SENG KIM

Instead of Peter Parker, it was local wushu champion Picasso Tan - whose stunt company handled the feat - behind the red mask.

Spidey and other characters from the upcoming movie 'Spider-Man 2' will be appearing at both of the airport's transit lounges till Saturday, in half-hour skits held twice in the evening.

A Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore spokesman said some 80,000 transit passengers spend two to six hours at the airport daily. The performances are meant to 'enhance the Changi experience'.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Here's Spidey from Lianhe Zaobao:

http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Miscelleneous/DSCN15611.jpg

spidey loves me :D

LOL..crazy but entertaining :cool:

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 30 June 2004 2001 hrs

Temasek receives some 20 bids for CIAS
By Melvin Yong, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : The Singapore investment company, Temasek Holdings, has seen strong interest for its plans to sell its airport ground handling unit.

Temasek says it received around 20 bids for Changi International Airport Services.

A Temasek spokeswoman would not name the bidders, except to say they comprise both local and foreign parties, including leading international industry players.

The investment company is currently evaluating the bids.

Temasek also confirmed that it received a bid from Swissport International.

But the Zurich-based company will be excluded from the bid process because it was awarded a third ground-handling licence for Changi Airport on Tuesday.

Temasek, which owns some 78 percent of CIAS, wants to divest the ground-handler to realise value from its investments.

The remaining shareholders are Air France, KLM, GlobeGround, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Deutsche Lufthansa.

All have also agreed to sell their stake.

CIAS currently has a 20 percent share of the ground-handling market in Singapore.

The remaining 80 percent is controlled by Singapore Airport Terminal Services, which is 87 percent-owned by Singapore Airlines.

The impending sale of CIAS comes amid other measures by the Singapore government to help Changi Airport compete with its regional rivals. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Business Times - 07 Jul 2004

Lone bidder withdraws CAAS flight catering bid
LSG may instead buy Temasek's stake in CIAS

By VEN SREENIVASAN

(SINGAPORE) LSG Asia Holdings Ltd has withdrawn its lone bid for the 20-year licence to be the third flight catering operator at Changi Airport.

The company, which is the world's largest provider of integrated in-flight solutions, withdrew its bid last month but announced its decision only yesterday. LSG, a subsidiary of LSG Lufthansa Service Holdings, was the only bidder for the tender which closed on April 30 this year.

LSG's announcement came on the heels of a surprise statement yesterday from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, which said that it had accepted LSG's withdrawal.

'We intend to call a new tender at a later date,' said a CAAS spokesman.

But industry watchers don't think CAAS will be in a hurry to do so.

Chris Sanda of DBS Vickers pointed out that LSG or any new player would have second thoughts about coming in as a late entrant, then competing with the established incumbents, Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) and Changi International Airport Services (CIAS).

'It's a very difficult position for someone to move into,' he said. 'If you start with just 10 per cent, how do you scale up in the face of dominant players who have been there from the beginning? Surely they must fancy greener pastures elsewhere.'

But the pullout by LSG would give SATS a much needed respite.

'They must be having a satay party over there now!' quipped Mr Sanda.

Though it controls about 80 per cent of the market at Changi and derives about 60 per cent of its business from SIA, SATS has said that after investing over $1 billion in facilities at Changi, including two state-of-the-art inflight kitchens, it faces significant excess capacity.

But LSG may not have totally given up plans to operate at Changi either.

In an announcement yesterday, the company hinted that it could make an entry via a purchase of Temasek Holding's stake in CIAS.

'On May 6, 2004, Singapore investment company Temasek Holdings initiated the process for the divestment of Changi International Airport Services (CIAS), which is currently one of the two flight catering providers at Changi Airport,' H K Cheung, LSG executive vice-president for Asia-Pacific, said.

'Given the divestment proposal, LSG Sky Chefs has been presented with different options to become one of the flight catering service providers in Changi Airport. It would make sense to our company to evaluate all available options before making any conclusion. LSG Sky Chefs has concluded that it would be appropriate for the company to withdraw from the tender.'

LSG serves 270 airlines from more than 200 customer service centres in 48 countries in areas of catering, procurement, equipment management and Total Inflight Management. The group produces around 313 million airline meals a year and chalked up revenue of 2.7 billion euros (S$5.7 billion) last year.

Meanwhile, CAAS last month awarded Swissport, a unit of Candover Investments and KLM Dutch Airlines, a 10-year licence to operate ground handling services at Changi from July 2005. Swissport beat Worldwide Flight Service - the only other company that bid to become Changi's third ground services operator - in a tender that closed on April 30.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

July 09, 2004
Harry’s takes off at airport

By Zubaidah Nazeer

Boat Quay icon Harry’s Bar will now greet travellers in the transit lounges of Changi Airport Terminals One and Two.

http://www.asiaone.com.sg/streats/pics/20040709_story3.jpg

The two bars, which began operating last month, take the number of Harry’s Bars here to four. Its Boat Quay branch started 12 years ago, while the one at the Esplanade opened in 2002.

Arjun Blom, 40, the general manager at the Boat Quay outlet, who is also overseeing both airport bars, told Streats that Harry’s won the tender for a three-year rental contract at the end of May.

And in keeping with the airport authority’s policy to make drinks prices attractive to transit passengers, beverages – such as soft drinks, draft beer, coffee and tea – at the airport bars are cheaper than those in the downtown ones.

Said Mr Blom: “We lowered the prices of those categories of drinks by as much as 40 per cent.”

For example, draft beer at the airport costs about $5 for a half pint, lower than the downtown happy-hour cost of $7, and soft drinks such as Coke are as cheap as $1.60 compared to about $4.

Even cocktails prices are “slightly lower”, he said.

Harry’s airport bars will also be the first food and beverage outlets to allow smoking.

In keeping with the Harry’s Bar tradition of having a signature drink at each outlet, the airport bars will offer a newly created concoction of hard liquors and fruit juice called Singapore Swing.

Tiger Beer, which Mr Blom describes as a Singapore icon, will be on tap there.

Although famous for its chicken curry and fish and chips, the pub will serve only light snacks.

“Our target is the transit passenger who would probably have a few minutes to sit and relax,” said Mr Blom.

Both bars, each with a capacity of 100, overlook the runways.

Added Mr Blom: “At T1, we kept some elements of the Boat Quay outlet, like its terrace style, by having a verandah set-up.

“At T2, what’s new is the cigar corner with sofas and chairs.”

And, yes, Harry’s Bar will rotate its usual international jazz and rhythm and blues guest artistes to the two airport bars as well.

Copyright © 2003 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

A news article from May......

Thursday May 6, 07:07 AM

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040505/6/1h63w.html

Australian makes first Darwin flight

Australian Airlines will make its inaugural flight from Darwin to Singapore today.

Darwin will become the 12th port in the leisure airline's growing international network.

Australian will be operating 52 flights a week across six countries.

"Our two weekly services will provide a boost to the inbound tourism industry in the Northern Territory with an additional 540 seats into Darwin from Singapore and a further 540 seats from Cairns each week," Head of Sales and Marketing Luisa Pastrello said.

"The new services also allow our Japanese customers one-stop connections to Darwin via Cairns from the cities of Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka." - Travelpress travel news

Copyright © 2002 Travel Media Group. All rights reserved.

This story was printed from TODAYonline

S'pore offers landing rights to 2 private Indian airlines, reports daily

Monday • July 12, 2004

SINGAPORE has offered landing rights to two private Indian carriers — Jet Airways and Air Sahara, The Hindu newspaper reported, without divulging where it obtained the information.

The offer was made after Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong held talks with Indian officials in New Delhi, the report said.

Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the only three places that Air Sahara and Jet Airways — India's biggest private airlines — fly to.

The two airlines, which fly to most of the major cities in India, have been asking the Indian government for permission to fly to South-east Asia and the Middle East.

At the moment, only Indian state carriers Indian Airlines and Air India fly to Singapore. The government permits local private airlines to fly to South Asian countries only.

Last week, Temasek Holdings, Singapore's investment holding company, was said to be in talks to buy up to 40 per cent of Jet Airways, The Times of India reported, without naming sources.

It is also interested in 30 per cent of Air Deccan, another fast growing Indian carrier, the report said.

Jet Airways chief executive ProckSchauer Wolfgang was quoted as saying that his company is talking to various investment firms to sell a portion of its equity.

Air Deccan managing director G R Gopinath has confirmed that talks were ongoing with Temasek, the paper reported. — Agencies

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

JULY 13, 2004
ST wins 2nd aircraft maintenance job with AirAsia

SINGAPORE - Singapore Technologies Engineering said on Tuesday that its aircraft maintenance arm has won a US$63.5 million contract to service Malaysian budget airline, AirAsia's planes.

The unit - ST Aerospace - will provide engine maintenance-by-the-hour services over 10 years for 10 of AirAsia's aircraft powered by CFM56-3 engines as part of the contract.

This is the second contract from the Malaysian carrier given to ST Engineering. Last year, it clinched a US$62.6 million aircraft maintenance contract from AirAsia.

AirAsia's chief executive Tony Fernandes said at a press conference in Singapore that the airline's fleet will grow to 24 aircraft from the current 18 by October and expects to add another 12 by the end of 2005.

Strong demand for the airline's services has also prompted AirAsia to explore using bigger aircraft, he added.

The airline's current fleet comprises mostly Boeing 737-300 aircraft.

AirAsia is targeting four million passengers in 2004 and just short of eight million in 2005 despite rising and impending competition from a host of no-frills carriers such as Singapore's Valuair and Tiger Airways, Indonesia's Lion Air and Nok Air from Thailand.

ST Technologies Engineering is controlled by Temasek Holdings, the Singapore government's investment arm. -- AP

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

From Lianhe Zaobao which says AirAsia will not start a budget carrier in Singapore in the short term........

亚航短期内不在新加坡设廉航

● 王辉雯

　　亚洲航空集团决定短期内不在新加坡成立廉价航空。

　　总裁费尔南德斯说，新加坡政府目前是把注意力集中在虎航、昆达士成立的廉价航空公司和惠旅航空上，使亚航不得不转战其他亚洲市场。

　　他昨天在新科宇航的实里达机场机库，与新科宇航总裁郑国强签署总值6350万美元的飞机维修合约，让新科工程维修10架飞机引擎10年。

　　费尔南德斯接受本报访问时指出，亚航数月前向新加坡提出的营业执照申请毫无进展，当局似乎对新加坡亚航没有多大兴趣。

　　他说：“不过无所谓，我们可以发展的地方还很多，可能有朝一日，新加坡会欢迎我们，（就算不在这里成立廉价航空公司）我们还是可以从其他地方开辟新加坡航线。”

　　亚航在本月5日开辟往来曼谷和澳门的廉价航线，反应热烈，使它计划在一两年后进军中国廉价航空市场。

　　费尔南德斯认为，到时亚航可从曼谷飞往昆明、海南、成都和珠海等地。不过，目前亚航的发展将集中在泰国和印尼市场上。

　　早前传闻可能成为新加坡亚航女总裁的本地音乐界女强人陈凯霖昨天正式加入亚航，但目前的职务是帮助亚航发展在中国成立廉价航空的事务，而非担任新加坡亚航总裁。

　　由此可见，亚航将在亚洲其他城市拓展业务，短期内不会在新加坡成立航空公司。　　

　　亚航看准亚洲的发展潜力，雄心勃勃要在数年内将飞机数量扩大四倍以上，并准备替换机队，以能载客180人以上的飞机取代只载148人的737飞机。

　　费尔南德斯透露，亚航有意增加80架飞机，这引来波音与空中巴士竞争这批订单。

　　他说，亚航坚持廉价航空公司只用同一机型的基本原则，即将在波音和空巴间作出选择。一旦作出决定，他估计首架飞机能在两年后交货，并开始淘汰737-300型飞机。

　　成立三年的亚洲航空，去年盈利2000万零吉（约893万新元），拥有18架737-300飞机，今年载客量估计400万人，到明年底，可加倍到800万。它计划在今年9月或10月上市。

　　下月，亚航将开辟吉隆坡飞峇厘岛、棉兰、合艾三个城市的新航线。

huh why..............

huh why..............

It was mentioned in the article that Airasia boss thinks that Singapore's focus is now on Valuair, Tiger and Jetstar......He submitted his application for the license a few months ago but still have not receive approval from CAAS...He also mention he will be back once CAAS welcome Airasia to set up shop here......:)

that guy always seems to be making bold and very blunt remarks...

Business Times - 15 Jul 2004

Changi records highest passenger traffic

SINGAPORE - The number of travellers using Changi Airport in June 2004 rose to the highest level since December last year.

Changi Airport received 2.6 million passengers in June 2004.

The last time the passenger number surpassed this mark was in December 2003, when 2.7 million people passed through, started or ended their flights at Changi.The June 2004 figure also represents a 70.4 per cent jump over June 2003, when 1.53 million travellers used Changi Airport.

Compared with June 2002 before SARS struck, the June 2004 number is 6 per cent higher.

In June 2002, Changi received 2.46 million travellers.

The first six months of the year saw 14.4 million travellers using Changi Airport, a 35.5 per cent hike over the corresponding period a year ago, and a 1.7 per cent increase over the same period in 2002.Air cargo volume retained its steady climb.

Changi Airport handled 149,699 tonnes of airfreight in June 2004, 17.7 per cent higher than June 2003, and a 6 per cent rise from June 2002.

In the first six months of this year, air cargo volume rose 11.1 per cent year-on-year to 856,303 tonnes.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

That's good news.:)

Business Times - 20 Jul 2004

S'pore to build low cost terminal for low cost carriers

SINGAPORE - The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will build a low cost terminal that can be used by low cost carriers (LCC) at Changi Airport.

It will be the first in Asia to build a new terminal for low cost carriers.

The terminal, located along Airport Boulevard, is expected to be ready by early 2006.

CAAS' decision to proceed with the building of the low cost terminal was based on an agreement signed with Tiger Airways representing the airline's firm commitment to operate from the new terminal.

The low cost terminal will be built in a modular fashion, taking into consideration the needs of the carriers using the terminal.

It will have an initial handling capacity of 2.7 million passengers a year.

There is scope for further expansion should more carriers want to use the terminal.

Operating costs at the new terminal will be lower than at Terminals 1 and 2.

This is in line with the needs and operating models of low cost carriers.

The low cost terminal will be a single-storey building; contain no travellators or escalators; and will not have anyaerobridges.

While a key consideration is to keep operating costs low, this does not mean the low cost terminal will offer no services.

For example, there will be a shuttle bus service to link passengers to Changi Airport's existing terminals, and vice versa.

Services and facilities such as money changers, duty-free shopping, and food and beverage outlets, will also be available.

The tender to design and build the low cost terminal will be called this week and is expected to be awarded by the end of the year.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

They seem to be going ahead with this terminal for Tiger Airways, which has yet to take off or be profitable. I hope the terminal will help stimulate the budget market to grow further though. It may also attract Air Asia to operate out of Singapore.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 20 July 2004 2247 hrs

Valuair, AirAsia keep options open on Changi's proposed budget terminal
By Chua Chin Chye, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Newcomer Tiger Airways has already agreed to operate from the low-cost carrier terminal to be built at Changi, but a check with other budget carriers show that they are mostly still keeping their options open.

Valuair, which has been in business for three months, says it will wait and see.

"We have to reflect on the Valuair model. At this moment, our passengers are enjoying the luxury of a full service terminal. We are, at this moment, doing very well in carrying cargo to all the destinations that we serve. To move it to a budget terminal, we have to take into consideration whether that will impede our cargo operations as well," said Jimmy Lau, executive director of Valuair.

Valuair now flies to Jakarta and Bangkok. By year-end, it will add two more destinations and introduce inter-lining, whereby passengers can switch to other airlines as part of their journey.

So the new terminal's location, five minutes away from the main terminals, does not help.

But Valuair foresees a situation where it may operate from the budget terminal -- to compete purely on costs. But that will be on top of its full-service flights.

"We could. Some destinations maybe. We could add variety into our operations down the line. I don't know yet. We will see what the competition does. We will have to move with the market," said Mr Lau.

As for Malaysia-based AirAsia, it says it is awaiting more details, and would have to study them before making any comment.

AirAsia now flies to Singapore, but uses Senai in Johor as its aviation hub.

Australia's JetStar, the latest to enter the budget carrier scene here, was not available for comment.

The no-frills terminal will be built at Changi Airport by 2006. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Valuair seems to be enjoying the best of both worlds at the moment.

Location map on the Chinese press(Lianhe Zaobao):

The red portion at the lower left is where the budget terminal is located( on the right is Changi T2, T1 and T3 (anticlockwise))
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ylstan01/Airport/DSCN18711.jpg

Note the highlighted part of the article........

This story was printed from TODAYonline

CAAS to build low-cost carrier terminal

Tiger Airways agrees to operate from new facility

Wednesday • July 21, 2004

Tay Tsen-Waye
waye@newstoday.com.sg

IT WAS exactly as Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong had promised last month.

As long as one airline signed on the dotted line confirming its interest in using a terminal dedicated to low-cost carriers (LCC), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) would start building one immediately.

Yesterday, CAAS said that Tiger Airways — 49 per cent owned by Singapore Airlines and expected to begin operations by the year end — had inked an agreement indicating its firm commitment to operate from the new LCC facility.

Beginning today, CAAS is calling for bids to design and construct a $45-million terminal at Changi for low-cost carriers. The tender is expected to close in September, with the contract being awarded at the end of the year. The terminal should be ready by early 2006.

CAAS deputy director (airport management) Foo Sek Min said that the new building — Asia's first dedicated LCC terminal — will be key to expanding Singapore's status as a regional aviation hub.

With operating and maintenance charges 20 per cent lower than full-service terminals, LCCs will save money for passengers and the airlines, said Mr Foo.

The new terminal will be functional — there will be no gate holding rooms, travellators and aerobridges for the one-storey terminal, he said.

But, it will be air-conditioned, with the same level of security and safety. A regular shuttle bus will transport transit passengers to the other Changi terminals, some five minutes away.

For a start, the building will have a handling capacity of 2.7 million passengers a year. There is room for expansion — more than double the capacity — should other airlines decide to use the terminal.

Mr Foo said that CAAS is currently in active discussions with two airlines and is also confident that a yet-to-be-named Qantas start-up is considering using it.

As whether other Asia-based low-cost airlines would join the fray, AirAsia said it was unable to comment, as it had just heard the news.

Singapore-based ValuAir — which started operating in May — said it welcomed the announcement but preferred to keep its options open for now.

"We will be in a good position to be able to compare costs savings once the new budget terminal comes on-line," said executive director Jimmy Lau.

Aviation analyst Chris Sanda from DBS Vickers said that new terminal would address the "issue that budget airlines and full-service network airlines have distinctly different type of needs".

"For the budget airline traveller, it's all about getting from point A to B and back," said Mr Sanda.

"So, for these people, cost management is going to be more important and specifically addresses the issues of budget airlines, which need to have the lowest possible cost structure. It helps differentiate a budget airline from a traditional network airline."

And to be an aviation hub, you need to make sure that people fly here, he said.

"You definitely need a terminal. Having hub status is essentially to have a best-in-class type of infrastructure."

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

This story was printed from TODAYonline

Sats will expand operations overseas

Wednesday • July 21, 2004

THE Singapore Airlines catering and ground handling unit, Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats), will expand its operations overseas as competition increases in Singapore.

Sats aims to increase its pre-tax profit share from overseas ventures to between 20 and 25 per cent in the medium term, chairman Edmund Cheng said in a meeting for shareholders.

Operations outside Singapore made up 15.5 per cent of the company's profit before tax for the year ended March 31.

"The environment locally is getting more and more competitive and there is an urgent need for Sats to expand overseas," Mr Cheng said.

"Even going overseas, the opportunities are not much and when there are opportunities, it is very competitive."

Competition for ground-handling services intensified after the Government last month awarded a third licence to Swissport International.

Changi International Airport Services, a unit of Temasek Holdings, also provides check-in, baggage and cargo services at Changi Airport.

Sats handles about 80 per cent of the cargo at Changi and has been expanding from its home base, with joint ventures at Asian airports including those in India, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Maldives. — Bloomberg

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp503_210704.html

According to the Chinese press, the budget terminal's floor space would be 25000 sqm....hence by 2008, the combined terminal floor space of changi would be 1009100sqm which is approximately 1 million sqm.......:eek:

JULY 21, 2004
Changi eyes stakes in Indian airports

SINGAPORE Changi Airport Enterprise and Fraport, which owns Frankfurt Airport, are among 10 companies that made initial bids for stakes in India's biggest airports, helping the government progress with its plans.

The bidders for stakes in the New Delhi and Mumbai airports also include Reliance Airport Developers, Airports Company South Africa, Macquire Bank and Bharti Enterprises, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement in New Delhi. Bidding for the airports closed yesterday.

India is selling stakes in its biggest airports in an effort to improve facilities in anticipation of an expected surge in demand for air travel in the world's second-most populous nation.

'It's definitely a forward step, after a lot of delays,' said Mr Kapil Kaul, vice-president at the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation, a policy research group based in New Delhi.

'The bidding list looks pretty impressive and I hope things speed up.'

India last month cut the limit overseas investors could buy in airports to 49 per cent from 74 per cent, saying local investors will be able to raise capital for the projects. Fraport, Changi and most other overseas companies bid along with an Indian partner, according to the statement. Changi bid with Bharti, which owns India's second-biggest mobile phone company.

The Airports Authority of India, which now runs the two airports, will hold a 26 per cent stake in line with an existing plan, while Indian investors will hold a minimum of 25 per cent.

The aviation ministry predicts the number of passengers using India's airports will more than double to 85 million a year by 2017 from 39 million this year. Indian cargo traffic will grow sixfold in the next two decades, the ministry forecasts.

The sale plan has been delayed by more than a month due to opposition from airport workers and political parties. The government expects to complete the sale by the end of the year ending March 31, 2005, Aviation Minister Praful Patel said last month. -- Bloomberg News

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp503_210704.html

According to the Chinese press, the budget terminal's floor space would be 25000 sqm....hence by 2008, the combined terminal floor space of changi would be 1009100sqm which is approximately 1 million sqm.......:eek:

how does that compare to other airports? From your expression it must be quite big :eek:

how does that compare to other airports? From your expression it must be quite big :eek:

Here are some figures compile by Huaiwei recently....... :cheers:

• Singapore Changi International Airport: 634,100 sqm, 2 terminals ; (1009100sqm including budget terminal, due early 2006.& T3 , due 2008)
• New Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi): 563,000 sqm, 1 Terminal, due 2004/5
• Hong Kong International Airport: 550,000 sqm, 1 Terminal
• Seoul Incheon International Airport: 496,000 sqm, 1 Terminal
• Kuala Lumpur International Airport: 480,000 sqm, 1 Terminal, 1 satellite
• Bangkok International Airport: 391,316 sqm, 3 Terminals
• Tokyo Narita International Airport: 360,000 sqm, 2 Terminals
• Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport: 325,161 sqm, 1 Terminal
• Osaka Kansai International Airport: 296,000 sqm, 1 Terminal

:rofl:

so after all that hype and brouhaha about certain new regional airports, Changi is still bigger than them?! :lol:

Well...as I said before, our pride isnt exactly misplaced in this regard! :D

Others may build plenty of new airports, but who can beat an airport which has been around for more than twenty years, and has been expanding ever since? ;)

yes but reading some comments outside this forum will sure make your skin tick..."my airport is gonna be bigga and betta than yours blablabla"

I'm still relishing showing that list of the HDI and Mercer's top Asian cities to LIVE and STAY ;) Might shut a few mouths up...but never mind lah..can tahan...

HAHAHA!!

I duno loh....the recent spate of talk pertaining to nothing but BIG BIG BIG is reaching GIGANTIC proportions man. Makes me wonder what all these are supposed to have any relevance to development other then another excuse for fulfilling local egos. Remember they once try to build tall? Heck I wished it was still the go tall race rather then all these humongous halls! :D

Maybe they receive too much of those spam mails ( enlarge your...... )......:D

But anyway, I dun think a good airport is one that makes you walk like hell(due to its size) or let airline waste money on taxi-ing(due to large land area) .....Ultimately, the functionality of the airport is the most important.....:yes:

^

well said! Compact is better. Its like having everything all within easy reach :yes:

Something interesting about our airports is that they dont look that big at first glance even when seeing from the air? The long spines seem to create an optical illusion I suppose. :D

I think if tourist merely use the budget terminal, they might find Changi a tad "small"....haha....:D

(the budget terminal floor space is like 2 1/2 of Singapore Expo's exhibition hall......one hall 10000 sqm)

I think if tourist merely use the budget terminal, they might find Changi a tad "small"....haha....:D

(the budget terminal floor space is like 2 1/2 of Singapore Expo's exhibition hall......one hall 10000 sqm)
You saying 2/1/2 of the whole of expo or one of the halls?

You saying 2/1/2 of the whole of expo or one of the halls?

Clarification: 2/1/2 of one hall. ie 2.5 x 10000= 25000 sqm.

(10000 sqm is the size of one hall)

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 21 July 2004 2315 hrs

Air travellers cool to idea of no-frills terminal
By Johnson Choo, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Passengers flying through Changi Airport do not seem too keen about plans for a terminal just for budget airlines.

Even though airport tax and budget airline tickets will be cheaper, the idea of a no frills facilities and warnings of long check-in queues are weighing heavily on the minds of travellers.

Singapore is going ahead with plans to build a single-storey, no-frills terminal just for budget airlines.

There won't be any travellators nor aerobridges. And if you are coming from Terminal 1 or 2 you will have to haul your bags onto a shuttle bus to get there and check-in again.

Even though the terminal will be air-conditioned, some travellers aren't too hot about the plan.

"Not for me. If we have the best terminal, why do we have to go for a lower one?" said one businessman.

"I'm not interested. To some people yes; young people maybe. But if we're already old, I don't think I want to take a chance," a traveller said.

"For budget airlines, the need for luggage services cannot be avoided, since the luggage can be quite heavy for the tourists," said another.

Travellers say another reason is that many full-service airlines, which fly out of the much more comfortable Terminals 1 and 2, are fighting back with very competitively-priced tour packages.

They are so cheap that some travel agents say they make budget airlines look expensive.

Watt Lee of Megaline Travel said, "These packages offered by the full-service airlines are more established in the market. Compared to the budget airlines, where one has to find his own accommodation and attractions, these packages are much easier to promote and sell."

Over the past two months, prices of tour packages to the region, especially to Hong Kong and Bangkok, have dropped by some 30 percent, and the number of travellers has increased three times.

So it would appear that for budget airlines to be attractive, low airfares alone are not enough.

For example, it costs about S$160 to fly to Bangkok on Valuair.

But now tickets on Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways cost S$10 less.

"There is a market that has already been travelling very often; they will be very comfortable with full-service airlines. And because of their flexibility in their terms and conditions, their frequency of flights, then they would not change to a low-cost airline," said Alicia Seah of Sino-America Tours.

Nevertheless, the budget airline market in Asia has been expanding very rapidly and aviation authorities here expect the new budget terminal, which will be up by 2006, to handle 2.7 million passengers a year. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Changi has spoilt the passenger.

Well, money talks so time will tell if they will flock to the new terminal though.

I think the main issue here will be just how much cheaper the terminal will be. 20% in my opinion is simply not low enough. It needs at least a 50% cut.

I think the main issue here will be just how much cheaper the terminal will be. 20% in my opinion is simply not low enough. It needs at least a 50% cut.

I think other than airport charges, the airfare is also important.....it's has to be cheaper than the present state.........

I think other than airport charges, the airfare is also important.....it's has to be cheaper than the present state.........

CAAS better design the terminal that allows Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 to turn 360 degrees and then taxi itself out of parking bays and take off. This would definitely cut much of costs that can be borned from ground services.

:P

do we have a rendering of the new terminal?

do we have a rendering of the new terminal?

Emm....not yet....though I have imagine it might look like this.......

Cork Airport, Ireland; Passenger terminal floor size: 25000 sqm
http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/cork/images/CORK-3.jpg

http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/cork/index.html

that doesnt look too bad, looks quite homely if u ask me :yes:

I hope our budget terminal doesnt = ugly terminal

JULY 24, 2004
200 free Internet machines at Changi Airport

INTERNET surfing at Changi Airport is taking off.

There are now 200 machines with free Internet access, up from 40 in January this year, while wireless Internet coverage at the airport has also been expanded.

The machines are in the departure transit lounges of both Terminals 1 and 2, as well as most gatehold rooms - the places you wait to board a plane after the security checks.

The first 20 were installed in 2002. A Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) statement yesterday said that Changi has 'the largest number of free Internet terminals available in any airport worldwide'.

More than 3,000 travellers use the machines daily.

Another improvement is that wireless coverage now extends to the gatehold rooms. Within such 'hot spots', travellers can send e-mail from wireless-enabled laptops or personal digital assistants.

The main public areas, such as the arrival and departure halls, had already offered wireless access, but this connectivity - offered by StarHub - must be paid for. For instance, a half-hour pay-per-use package with StarHub costs $6.

There are more than 80 hot spots, and subscribers to major service providers in Malaysia, Australia, Britain, China and South Korea - as well as to roaming partners like Gric and iPass - can log on too.

Wireless coverage at the airport spans an area of '28 football fields', said CAAS.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Found this

http://savvytraveler.publicradio.org/show/features/2001/20010316/feature1.shtml

Audio: http://savvytraveler.publicradio.org/show/features/2001/20010316/rafiles/20010316_feature1.ram

Ever wonder why airports are called "terminals?" How about terminal waiting? Terminally bad food? Endless lines of hapless travelers dragging their squealing wheelie suitcases in The Fifth Circle of Aeronautical Hell - passengers fervently wishing for an out-of-airport experience. But some airports are more than dreary waiting rooms. In the first of a series exploring the world's airports, we look at some stopovers that make waiting a pleasure. Consider Changi Airport in Singapore. As Jeff Tyler tells us, it is a destination in its own right.

Feature: Changi Airport, Destination in its Own Right

I actually look forward to a trip to Singapore just for the airport. I’ve never seen anything like it. I mean, how often do you hear the sounds of fake birds at an airport?

I’m in the orchid garden, home to a small pond and the soundtrack of chirping birds. It's a tiny island of plants surrounded by a sea of carpet right in the middle of the departure terminal.

For something less serene, let’s wander upstairs and take in a free movie.

This is a little theater with a humongous TV screen, tucked away in a dimly-lit corner on the third floor, away from the general bustle. It has only 20 seats. But in several trips to the movies, I never see it full. Perhaps there’s a reason for that.

Sound from movie: "Shut up and listen. 4 officers were hit this morning. All DOA. Poorman, Martinez, Vasquez, and Sgt. Chan...I’m surprised you're still alive."
Hey, I said it’s free, NOT Academy Award material. Though if I had lots of time to kill, I could watch an Oliver Stone flick in the afternoon, or a Robert Redford spy thriller about midnight.

Gail, from South Africa, has time - 15 hours between her flights. But she’s not having a problem keeping occupied.

Gail: "We went on the bus tour. They offer a free bus tour into Singapore city itself. Then you go on a boat trip as well. And it’s all free."
Another cool service is the public telephone. No messing around with foreign coins or pre-paid phone cards.

Woman: "Local calls made in the transit area are free."

Tyler: “So you can call anywhere in Singapore for free?”

Woman: "Correct. In the transit area only...once out of customs, in the public area, no more free calls."
And outside of the free-call area, that is to say outside of the airport, I’m less enthusiastic about Singapore. Even though this small island of 3 Million people at the southern tip of Malaysia is a blend of Chinese, Malay, and Indian cultures, the place feels sterile. Perhaps that has something to do with the country’s mania about cleanliness. There’s a joke that Singapore is a “FINE” city - if you’re caught spitting, the fine is several hundred bucks. Throw your chewing gum on the ground...and it’ll cost ya.

Frankly, if I didn’t need to do business in town, I would never leave the airport. I could sleep right here in the terminal. Two transit hotels offer a place to crash for up to 9 hours. Just up the escalator from the main departure areas, I check out a room in the hotel, expecting a cramped cubicle where people are stored like lost luggage.

Tyler: "It’s much bigger than the hotel room I stayed in in town."
A queen bed, TV, and a spacious desk in a room with a shower costs 40 bucks US for six hours. More for every hour after that. It’s 25 dollars for a small room with a shared bath. That might be the way to go if I wasn’t interested in sleep, and just want to use the hotel facilities.

Hotel Manager: "We have 2 hotels here. The hotel at Terminal 1 has a swimming pool. And at both sites we have sauna facilities as well. In Terminal 1, we also have a gym, for people to do some work out."
Or I could give someone else a work out and pamper my tired muscles with a massage. That’s what John Baker is doing. He’s passing through Singapore on a 72 hour business trip. For a half hour, he’s in heaven as he reclines in a comfy leather chair with his grey slacks rolled up to his knees.

Tyler: "And what are you doing right now?"

Baker: "Just getting a foot massage before making a 20 hour trip home."

Tyler: "And how’s it working for you?"

Baker: "So far so good...A little bit of pleasure in an experience that typically isn’t so fun."
Not to sell Singapore the short, the city is a great place to go shopping. It ranks up there with Hong Kong in terms of cheap electronics. But if you’re short on time and don’t mind paying a little more, you can, like our friend Mister Baker, go on a spending spree right here, in one of the airport’s hundred shops.

Baker: "Here you’re hard pressed not to be able to find something. There’s just such a variety. From every brand name in clothing and electronics you can imagine."
It’s basically a shopping mall. There’s the standard stuff - clothing, perfume, jewelry. But wondering around, I also find a supermarket, a wine shop, several toy stores, and one place devoted to soccer memorabilia.

And of course, every imaginable kind of electronic do-dad. The prices are cheaper in town. But I just need a electrical surge protector for my laptop. And I know just where find it at the airport.

Tyler: "World travel plug set, modem shield...surge protector. Here we go."

Tyler: "How much is it?"

Sales girl: "29.95, sir...Thank you. Have a nice day. Bye-bye."
Mission accomplished, I can now sit down at one of the computer desks provided, plug in my lap top, and go to work.

Come to think of it, maybe that’s one convenience this lazy writer could have done without.

In Changi Airport, Singapore, I’m Jeff Tyler for the Savvy Traveler.

Feature: Changi Airport, Destination in its Own Right


Now every airport wants to be a "destination in its own right"......:lol:

Yeah lah...for some reason the movie he happend to be watching was some mass cop-killing thingy? :D

Yeah lah...for some reason the movie he happend to be watching was some mass cop-killing thingy? :D

Haha....sound like the kind of movies for u....... ;)

Haha....sound like the kind of movies for u....... ;)
Dunno what movie is that leh. Sianz. :D

Dunno what movie is that leh. Sianz. :D

"Sgt Chan"?? hmmm......sound like one of those Jacky chan movies.......

200 free Internet machines at Changi Airport

This is great! Previously they arranged the computers on a circular table and people had to queue up as there werent enough. and its free!

This is great! Previously they arranged the computers on a circular table and people had to queue up as there werent enough. and its free!

I vaguely remember someone did complain about the inadequate terminal in another website......I'm glad they are resolving the problem......:yes:

"Sgt Chan"?? hmmm......sound like one of those Jacky chan movies.......
According to that line, Sgt Chan didnt survive leh...haha. :D

Oh yeah....the complaint...I think it was in airliners.net.

According to that line, Sgt Chan didnt survive leh...haha. :D

Oh yeah....the complaint...I think it was in airliners.net.

Maybe it was an old movie where Jacky chan was still a stuntman.....:lol:

Hahaha...yeah yeah. :D If you listen to the script, it dosent sound exactly like Chan...then again, the way they pronounce Changi makes me cringe too. ;)

I wonder the free local phone call thing is an industry standard or it's a changi thingy??

I wonder the free local phone call thing is an industry standard or it's a changi thingy??
Its such a basic amenity....other airports dont have this? Raffie...any clues?

JULY 26, 2004
Why not use current airport terminals for budget airlines?

THE Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) should reconsider the idea of building a budget air terminal at a cost of some $35 million and see if a better alternative can be found.

This is especially so as passengers will still be expected to pay airport tax of $18 at the budget terminal where they have to walk to the aircraft in all weather conditions - a mere $3 difference compared to the $21 airport tax they pay at terminals 1 and 2!

Looking at the huge construction of Terminal 3, one wonders, when it is completed in a few years (when the new budget terminal will also be completed), what will happen to the excess capacity in terminals 1 and 2.

Currently, Terminal 2 is used mainly by Singapore Airlines (SIA), which is its biggest user. Hence, when SIA moves to the new Terminal 3, Terminal 2 will immediately have more than 50 per cent idle empty gates.

This will be coupled with Terminal 1, which currently has some excess capacity. During offpeak hours, between 10am and 5pm, one can see how quiet Terminal 1 and even Terminal 2 are.

Has the CAAS considered using part of Terminal 1 exclusively for budget carriers - by blocking off a finger pier, for example, or part of a remote bay? Modifications to check-in and separate access to this budget pier can be made easily in a very short time.

This will save a lot in building costs, manpower, logistics, ground handling equipment and security.

Even with the projected increase in arrivals over next few years, Changi Airport's three international terminals will still be under-used and have plenty of room to cope with expected demand.

This will be compounded with the introduction of new ultra long-range aircraft which can serve European and Australasian routes direct and bypass Singapore. In fact, Changi may not even get its projected increase in aircraft landings, except for some budget carriers.

The CAAS should look for better ways to use existing facilities, rather than build new facilities as the easiest option.

The difference in airport tax is only $3 for each budget passenger. For such a small amount, why build a new terminal at a cost of $35 million when it is devoid of most amenities for passengers and will be practically empty?


WILLIAM WEE LIANG THIAN

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 29 Jul 2004

Changi Airport to handle 21% more people in 2004

(JAKARTA) Singapore's Changi Airport, South-east Asia's second-busiest, will handle 21 per cent more passengers this year as travel demand across Asia increases, Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said.

The number of passengers may reach 30 million, up from 24.7 million last year, Mr Yeo said at Bali. The number may increase by an average of 5 per cent to 6 per cent a year in future, he said.

The increase in passenger traffic follows a 15 per cent drop last year because of Sars. Economic growth in countries and new low-cost airlines in South-east Asia is making air travel affordable to more people, prompting the Singapore government to build a US$1.75 billion third terminal at Changi to be opened in 2008.

'We build in anticipation of the demand,' said Mr Yeo at a conference for transport ministers in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group. 'Based on the growth rate we are seeing now, in 2008 demand will be quite high. The first two terminals will be already crowded by then.'

The new terminal will increase Changi's annual capacity 45 per cent to 64 million passengers. - Bloomberg

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 13 August 2004 2042 hrs

Changi Airport organises games for travellers during Olympics
By Johnson Choo, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : If you cannot be in Athens to witness the Olympic Games, how about taking part in a friendly competition in Singapore.

The competitors are not athletes, but travellers.

In a move to inject some of the Olympic buzz at Changi Airport, various events have been staged for 80,000 travellers who use the airport daily.

They can compete in games such as long jump, archery, soccer and basketball.

And following the tradition of the Olympics, winners are rewarded with specially-designed medals, plus Olympic memorabilia, and shopping vouchers.

And for those who prefer to watch from the sidelines, there are performances by Singapore Cheerobics Teams and Silat Teams.

The Changi Games are on till August 29. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

AUG 14, 2004
Seletar hangar now an aerospace training workshop
Located next to the airport runway, the new Seletar Skills Centre will help give apprentices hands-on training in a more realistic setting

By Natalie Soh

A HANGAR in Seletar Airport will play a pivotal role in training skilled technicians and engineers to keep the burgeoning aerospace industry going.

The Air Transport Training College, the training arm of the Singapore Institute of Aerospace Engineers, has taken over the 1,700 sq m Hangar 151 nestled next to the runway and converted it into a giant workshop.

It has been renamed the Seletar Skills Centre and will complement the 800 sq m of classroom space the college will have in Changi Road.

The hangar will give apprentices a more realistic training environment and hands-on experience fixing airplane parts and engines.

Opening the centre yesterday, the chief executive of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), Mr Leo Yip, said the local aerospace industry - which maintains, repairs and overhauls aircraft - contributes about $4 billion annually to the economy and employs about 11,000 people.

Today, the sector enjoys a global market share of 6 per cent. In Asia, Singapore has 20 per cent of the pie.

But the industry has been having problems finding enough skilled manpower.

According to the president of the engineers institute, Mr Charles Chong, companies have been forced to look overseas, in the Philippines, India and Australia among other places, to find qualified technicians and engineers.

He reckons that 30 per cent of the workforce are foreigners on contract.

The institute and the WDA already have a scheme to retrain workers retrenched from other technical jobs.

'As long as they have a technical background, we can arrange a bridging course and they can be trained in three to six months, rather than 1 1/2 years,' said Mr Chong, who is also an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

Besides getting more workers, Mr Yip also pointed out in his opening address that the technicians of the future will have to deal with rapidly changing technology.

'Aircraft technicians and engineers have to be multi-skilled and possess the capacity to maintain, repair and overhaul new models and components within a short space of time.'

A qualified, competitive workforce, he added, would be a key factor in determining how healthy and competitive Singapore is as an aerospace hub.

$4B INDUSTRY

THE local aerospace industry - which maintains, repairs and overhauls aircraft - contributes about $4 billion annually to the economy and employs about 11,000 people.

The sector enjoys a global market share of 6 per cent. In Asia, Singapore has 20 per cent of the pie.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 19 Aug 2004

Changi passenger traffic hits 7-mth high

By VEN SREENIVASAN

PASSENGER traffic at Changi Airport in July soared to its highest level since December 2003, with some 2.68 million travellers using the hub.

This was a 26.3 per cent increase from 2.12 million travellers in July 2003 and an 8.1 per cent increase from 2.48 million passengers in July 2002 before Sars struck in early 2003.

Just over 17 million passengers - more than four times Singapore's resident population - passed through Changi Airport in January-July.

This was a whopping 44 per cent jump from the same period in 2003 and a 2.7 per cent increase on the pre-Sars numbers in January-July 2002.

Changi's air-freight traffic was also up strongly in last month, rising 15.8 per cent to 151,494 tonnes, compared with 130,797 tonnes in July 2003. The number was also 9.4 per cent higher than the 138,534 tonnes handled in July 2002.

For the first seven months of the year, Changi Airport handled slightly over a million tonnes of air cargo - an 11.8 per cent increase from the same period last year and an 8.3 per cent increase from January-July 2002.

The latest numbers mark a strong recovery from last year, when passenger traffic at Changi tumbled 15 per cent after Sars.

With regional economies on the mend and low-cost carriers making flying more affordable for the masses, Changi is expected to see passenger throughput increase about 5 per cent a year in the coming years.

The number of passengers passing through Changi is expected to exceed 30 million this year, up from 24.7 million last year.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

That's good news. :)

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 24 August 2004 1048 hrs

Movie premiere of 'The Terminal' to be held at Singapore Changi Airport

SINGAPORE : Movie buffs and air travellers can catch the exclusive premiere screenings of "The Terminal" at Singapore Changi Airport.

This is the first ever movie premiere to be held at an airport.

The Hollywood movie which stars award-winning actor Tom Hanks and actress Catherine Zeta Jones, is inspired by the true story of Merhan Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian exile who has been living in Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport for the past 16 years.

The movie version tells the story of Viktor Navorski - played by Hanks - a visitor to New York City from Eastern Europe, whose homeland erupts in a fiery coup while he is in the air en route to America.

When he arrives at John F Kennedy International Airport with a passport from nowhere, he finds himself stranded.

Changi Airport is the only airport to serve as a premiere venue for the movie.

The premiere screening of "The Terminal" will take place on 28 August 2004, within the transit area in Changi Airport's Terminal 1 at the Sky Lounge.

Passengers waiting for their connecting flights at Changi Airport will also get to enjoy the movie on 29 August.

"The Terminal" opens in cinemas in Singapore on 9 September. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

i want to watch that! the script was by andrew niccol.. director of gattaca, which i loved to death

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 29 August 2004 2225 hrs

"The Terminal" movie premieres at Changi Airport
By Yvonne Cheong, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Steven Spielberg's latest movie "The Terminal" is inspired by a true story about a man who lived in an airport for over 16 years.

And what better place to premiere it in Singapore than at Changi Airport.

With movie posters and pop corn, it looks like a regular cinema, but with a view of the runway.

Some 160 people, who participated in contests held with the Today newspaper, Gold 90.5FM radio station and 8 days magazine, won for themselves tickets to the premiere of "The Terminal".

The venue is the sky lounge of Changi Airport's Terminal One - a first for the airport and excited movie buffs.

"That's something new as well, something good. Something unique that you don't have it everyday."

"Unexpected, and I think quite a new idea to have a movie screened in the terminal."

For others, the pre-movie tour of the airport was also a highlight.

"We know about the facilities in here now, he was thinking of bringing the children earlier the next time we come and visit because we're planning a holiday in December."

"You should have more such screening as well as tour going round so that people can get to know the airport better, anyway Changi Airport is what the first in the world."

The movie, starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones, will also be screened for transit passengers, and will open in cinemas across Singapore on September 9.

For more on the man who inspired the movie, as well as insights into airports in Malaysia and Hong Kong, catch the special edition of Yours Truly Asia on Monday, at 8pm on Channel NewsAsia. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

SEPT 7, 2004
Thailand falls behind in race to be air hub

Fee hikes will deter airlines and opening of Bangkok's new airport also looks like it will be delayed, says industry grouping

BANGKOK - Thailand is losing the fierce battle to become Asia's air hub and planned increases in already high charges will prompt more airlines to look elsewhere, industry experts warned yesterday.

Regional rivals Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong have aggressive expansion plans but Bangkok's delayed US$3.7 billion (S$6.3 billion) new airport has little chance of opening in September next year as scheduled, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

The industry claimed 13 airlines had stopped flights out of Bangkok during the past four years because of costs it said were significantly higher than those of key airport competitors in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Iata, the trade association of the world's aviation industry with 270 airline members, said Bangkok charged three times more than the Kuala Lumpur airport for the use of its facilities.

It cost airlines 75 per cent less overall to fly to Singapore than to Bangkok, Iata said. Landing a Boeing 737 in Bangkok currently costs US$549, compared with US$313 in Singapore.

After the Bangkok airport's Oct 1 hike, it will be US$603.

'The impact of user fees is tremendous and can make the difference between profits and bankruptcy,'said Iata chief spokesman Anthony Concil.

Speaking after attending a seminar with government officials, tourism industry representatives and other allied industries to review progress on Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi airport, Mr Concil said the Thai government had not responded to the industry's request to reconsider the fee hike.

From Oct 1, the government intends to raise by 20 per cent the fee that international airlines must pay every time one of their planes lands at Bangkok.

Another 15 per cent hike is planned for next year, in what the Iata fears is to prepare the industry for another fee increase when Suvarnabhumi opens for business.

Despite low-cost airlines from across Asia moving into Bangkok's traffic gap, officials said Thailand's ambitious target of doubling tourist numbers to 20 million by 2008 was jeopardised by cash-strapped airlines cutting services on cost grounds.

'The traffic will drift,' said Iata director of industry charges Jeff Poole. 'Nobody's saying there won't be growth in Thailand but it could be much more.'

Because of the high costs of doing business in Bangkok, British Airways has moved its hub operations to Singapore. Italy's Alitalia also suspended operations, as did South African Airways.

The Iata said the opening of the Suvarnabhumi airport, designed to handle up to 45 million passengers a year, was likely to be delayed for 12 to 18 months.

Building had hardly started for the air traffic control tower, which takes the longest in airport construction projects. -- AFP,AP

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HIGH AIRLINES CHARGES SET TO GET HIGHER

LANDING a Boeing 737 in Bangkok currently costs US$549 (S$939), compared with US$313 in Singapore. After Bangkok airport's Oct 1 hike, it will be US$603.

'The impact of user fees is tremendous and can make the difference between profits and bankruptcy,'said International Air Transport Association (Iata) chief spokesman Anthony Concil.

From Oct 1, the Thai government intends to raise by 20 per cent the fee that international airlines must pay every time one of their planes lands at Bangkok.

Another 15 per cent hike is planned for next year, in what the Iata fears is to prepare the industry for another fee increase when the Suvarnabhumi airport opens for business.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 07 September 2004 1713 hrs

Temasek sells 78.4% stake in CIAS to Emirates unit, Dnata
By Chan Hwa Loon, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Investment firm Temasek Holdings is selling its entire 78.4 percent stake in Changi International Airport Services (CIAS) to Dnata, a unit of the Emirates Group.

But both Temasek and Dnata declined to disclose the amount Dnata is paying for the stake, due to a confidentiality agreement between them.

There were more than 20 bids for Temasek's 78.4 percent stake in CIAS, including some of the world's top terminal services operators.

In the end, it was Emirates unit Dnata which emerged the winning bidder.

And Dnata is eyeing the rest of the stake in CIAS.

Gary Chapman, President, Dnata, said, "On the other shareholders, we will discuss with them their aspirations and work with them on the basis that they would like to - and the indications are - we have been told that they would like to sell, in which case we would work with them to conclude a purchase from them."

Emirates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said there are many synergies between Dnata and CIAS.

He said the Emirates looks forward to helping maintain Changi International Airports' role as a major global hub.

Dnata provides ground handling and cargo services at Dubai International Airport and is one of the largest travel organisations in the Middle East, with 6,200 employees.

CIAS trails rival Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS), in the local market.

It has only a 20 percent market share, versus SATS' 80 percent.

Temasek had put up its CIAS stake for sale in May, as part of its continuous review of its investment portfolio.

Temasek's financial advisor for the stake sale is Deutsche Bank. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 13 September 2004 1945 hrs

Dnata may use CIAS as platform to expand into China and region
By Mazlena Mazlan, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Emirates Group unit Dnata is considering Changi International Airport Services as a platform for expanding into China and the rest of the region.

Dnata president Gary Chapman told Channel NewsAsia this in an exclusive interview in Dubai.

Dnata is buying Temasek Holdings' 78.4 percent stake in CIAS.

CIAS already has interest in ground handling operations in Guangzhou, China.

Dnata already has operations in the Pakistani cities of Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar.

It also operates in Manila, Tehran and Doha.

But it views its CIAS acquisition as without question its most important expansion.

Gary Chapman, Chairman, Dnata, said: "We will be very keen to play a part to see Changi grow and prosper. It'll be in our interest to see that happen as a business."

Dnata says that hopefully it can wrap up the CIAS acquisition in the next month to 6 weeks.

It disclosed that the whole deal had gone through in double quick time.

It was first approached about buying over Temasek's stake only in May or June this year.

By last Friday, the deal was sealed.

On a third ground handler, Swissport International, starting operations at Changi Airport next year, Dnata says it is very difficult for it to predict exactly what are the implications of that. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

SEPT 14, 2004
Changi counts on people skills to stay ahead
By Karamjit Kaur

CHANGI Airport is turning to its people in its bid to stay ahead of the pack as the region's major air hub.

With more airports upgrading facilities and improving efficiency, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is banking on first-class service to keep Changi in front.

To achieve this, $4 million - more than twice last year's amount - will be spent this year training 6,500 front-line staff and their bosses.

They include workers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Airport Police Division, Singapore Customs, ground-handling companies, shops and restaurants.

The money will pay for more training sessions to develop skills such as how to spot passengers in distress and how to communicate with them effectively.

There will also be more regular campaigns to remind workers of the need for good service.

For the first time yesterday, about 100 of them also took part in a pledge-taking ceremony marking the start of a two-month long Quality Service Management Campaign.

CAAS' deputy director-general of airport management Ho Beng Huat, who led the pledge, said Changi has a good service culture, but more can be done.

'Staff must now be even more proactive in making that effort to improve service standards in view of the new competitive environment,' he said.

Ms Ivy Wong, airport manager (customer service), added that good service must go hand in hand with good facilities and efficient operations if Changi is to remain the top choice for travellers.

Among those taking the pledge was CAAS customer service officer Reena Rai, 23, who learnt French in her own time and at her own expense.

She said: 'In this line, it is normal to have people walk up to you and ask for help, but if you don't understand them, it makes you feel really helpless. You also feel bad that you cannot help them, especially when they look so distressed.

'I knew a bit of French, so it made sense for me to brush up on my knowledge.'

Other workers are also finding ways to go the extra mile. Madam Tan Beng Luan, 49, a customer service agent with Singapore Airport Terminal Services said: 'As airport front-line staff, we are often the first few faces people see when they arrive in Singapore, so it is important that we impress them.'

She practises what she preaches. 'Sometimes when I come across people, especially the elderly, who are alone and stuck at the airport for long hours because they missed a flight or encountered some other problems, I take them home,' she said, adding that she has done this five or six times in 22 years of service.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 15 Sep 2004

Changi Airport's passenger volume close to new record level

SINGAPORE - Passenger traffic at Changi Airport continued to surpass pre-SARS levels in the month of August.

The airport handled some 2.6 million travellers in August 2004, marking an increase of 15 per cent as compared with the 2.26 million travellers in August 2003.

Compared to August 2002, the latest passenger traffic number was 4 per cent higher.

In August 2002, 2.5 million passengers came through Changi Airport. The latest August figure offers optimism that passenger traffic at Changi Airport will reach new heights this year, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Between January and August 2004, a total of 19.68 million passengers visited Changi Airport.

This is 31.1 per cent more than the same period a year ago, and a 2.9 per cent increase from the corresponding January to August period in 2002.

Passenger volume at Changi Airport reached a record high in 2002, hitting 29 million passengers for the full year.

Meanwhile, Changi Airport processed 147,398 tonnes of cargo in August 2004, which is a jump of 11 per cent from 132,846 tonnes in August 2003, and an increase of 6.3 per cent over August 2002, when 138,618 tonnes of air freight was moved at Changi Airport.

Between January and August 2004, Changi Airport handled slightly over a million tonnes of air freight.

This is an 11.7 per cent hike over the same period last year, and an 8 per cent increase over 2002.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 16 September 2004 2247 hrs

Manpower Minister urges SATS to restructure wages to stay competitive

SINGAPORE : The management and union of Singapore Air Terminal Services (SATS) have been told to conclude their collective agreement quickly.

Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen said it was crucial for SATS to restructure its wages to stay competitive.

Dr Ng was speaking at the SATS Workers' Union on Thursday.

Citing the example of PSA which also underwent wage restructuring, Dr Ng says the port operator is now seeing the benefits.

Last year, PSA staff accepted wage cuts to keep costs down.

When things turned around, staff were given a goodwill bonus in August, and will be eligible for another bonus next month if the company achieves its cost reduction targets.

Dr Ng said similarly SATS, which is the dominant player in airport services, needs to be just as nimble, especially with price-sensitive low-cost carriers entering the market.

He said Changi Airport must lower fixed costs, otherwise airlines and passengers may bypass Changi. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Business Times - 20 Sep 2004

Changi airport adds more routes to China

SINGAPORE -Changi Airport's link to China has expanded further.

Travellers can now catch direct flights to Dalian and Ningbo cities from Singapore via China Southern Airlines.

The new service departs Singapore at 0300 hours every Monday and Thursday, arrives at Ningbo at 0740 hours, and takes off for Dalian again at 0830 hours.

It arrives at Dalian at 1010 hours. Visitors bound for Singapore can catch a flight from Dalian every Sunday and Wednesday at 1900 hours.

The flight first arrives at Ningbo at 2040 hours, before departing again at 2130 hours for Singapore.

It arrives at Singapore early the next morning at 0200 hours.

With the latest additions of Dalian and Ningbo in Changi Airport's network, Singapore is now linked to 17 cities in China.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 20 Sep 2004

Senai on track for air cargo hub status

SENAI, JOHOR - Efforts to boost air cargo throughput in Johor has seen Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd (SATS) clinching rights to provide cargo handling services for no-frills airline AirAsia.

The recent appointment of SATS as one of AirAsia's cargo handling agents was made by Cargo Counts GmbH, a global expert in total cargo management hired by the low-fare airline to sell and market its freight capacity.

Under the agreement, Senai will handle AirAsia's domestic and international cargo and provide services spanning build & break, scanning and weighing, cargo manifesting, labeling, towing to and from the aircraft, documentation and transshipment.

Senai aims to handle more than 50,000 tonnes of cargo by 2005.

SATS, operator of Senai International Airport (Senai), recently completed construction of a new RM13 million cargo complex.

It has a built up area of 3,600 sq m and is capable of handling up to 80,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

The construction of the cargo complex is one of several initiatives SATS is undertaking to realize its ten-year development program to transform Senai into Asia's passenger, air cargo and logistics hub.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 24 Sep 2004

Singapore Changi Airport wins 6 awards in Sept

SINGAPORE - Singapore Changi Airport has picked up six global awards within the last 10 days.

The latest accolades were handed out today in Hong Kong by the Asia Pacific edition of the widely-read Business Traveller magazine.

Readers gave the thumbs up to Changi Airport for the 13th consecutive year as the best airport in the world.

In addition, Changi Airport was voted the airport with the best Duty Free Shopping for the 7th year running. Changi Airport also came up tops in the surveys of other leading publications.

Readers of Business Traveller (UK edition) gave the nod to Changi Airport for the 'Best Airport - World' and 'Best Airport for Duty Free Shopping' awards.

These awards were given out in London on 21 September.

Readers of Travel Savvy, which is circulated mainly in the US and Britain, chose Changi Airport as the Best Airport Worldwide.

This is the first time that Changi Airport has picked up an award from Travel Savvy magazine.

Finally, readers of award-winning US-based travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller unanimously chose Changi Airport as the best in the world.

Including the latest haul, Singapore Changi Airport has secured 11 awards so far this year.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 26 September 2004 1449 hrs

Singapore's transport minister to lead delegation to ICAO Assembly

SINGAPORE : Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong will lead the Singapore delegation to the 35th triennial session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly.

At the assembly, to be held in Montreal from 28 September to 8 October, transport ministers from ICAO's 188 contracting states and members of the aviation community will address a diverse range of aviation issues and policy matters.

The assembly will also hold elections for the 36-member ICAO Council, which is the governing body of ICAO.

Singapore was first elected into the council in April last year and will be seeking re-election to the council at the upcoming assembly.

During his stay in Canada, Mr Yeo will meet with the president of the ICAO Council, as well as other transport ministers.

Mr Yeo will be accompanied by officials from his ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Business Times - 27 Sep 2004

S'pore fast-tracking aviation reforms to meet competition

(SINGAPORE) With three new budget airlines, plans for a low-cost airport terminal and the laying-off of hundreds of workers, nothing, it seems, is being spared in Singapore's efforts to remain a force in the region's increasingly competitive aviation industry.

Aviation analysts said the retrenchments of nearly 400 people and the outsourcing of another 1,000 jobs last week by Singapore Airlines and one of its subsidiaries reflected the sharp edge of the comprehensive restructure underway.

But with low-cost airlines igniting competition across Asia and soaring fuel prices hitting bottom lines, analysts said Singapore's approach was necessary and typical of its determination to maintain its status as an aviation top-dog.

'Singapore has always been at the head of liberalisation. They have always championed this sort of thing,' said Ian Thomas, a senior consultant with the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. 'That pace has been taken to a new level now.'

Chris Sanda, a Singapore-based aviation analyst with DBS Vickers Securities, echoed Mr Thomas's sentiments over the Republic's ambitions as it grapples with the budget airline phenomenon.

'They want to be the leader. It's part of the whole Singapore thing. Better, faster, first out of the box,' Mr Sanda said.

Although Malaysia's AirAsia is South-east Asia's no-frills leader after being the first to begin flying in 2001, the Singapore government and an array of mostly government-linked ventures have reacted quickly and aggressively.

Valuair, set up by former Singapore Airlines deputy chairman Lim Chin Beng, began operations in May and flies to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Jakarta. It is planning to expand to Perth starting December, followed by routes into China.

In one of the boldest moves, Tiger Airways started a price war when it launched its services this month with tickets to Bangkok for just S$1.

Singapore Airlines and Singapore investment company Temasek Holdings have a combined majority stake in Tiger Airways.

Temasek also has its thumb in the third low-cost airline pie that will come out of Singapore, an as-yet unnamed venture with Australian carrier Qantas that is expected to begin flying within months.

To cater for the low-cost airlines, the government announced in July that Asia's first dedicated low-cost airline terminal would be built at Changi Airport and operational by early 2006.

Authorities have said costs for airlines and passengers will be about 20 per cent lower than at Changi's major terminals.

Mr Thomas said there was a lot of other restructuring taking place in Singapore's aviation industry that was also important in its competitive drive.

'It doesn't stop at the airlines or the airports. It goes to all sectors in the aviation industry, mainly in the supply areas,' he said, listing ground and cargo handling, reservation systems and fuel delivery as other key sectors.

Ground handler and in-flight caterer Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) showed last week it was prepared to adopt hardline tactics to remain competitive when it laid off 108 people.

SATS, which is 85 per cent owned by Singapore Airlines, said another 1,064 permanent jobs would be outsourced, giving those employees the option of shifting to contract work or also joining the unemployment queue.

Singapore Airlines also announced last week it would outsource 200 jobs in its own finance and IT divisions this year, with the carrier unable to guarantee work for all the laid-off staff with the new service providers.

'There's an evolution to lower costs and for higher efficiency and when you have all those changes you are going to have friction and job losses and job shifts,' DBS Vickers' Mr Sanda said.

Mr Thomas said the changes come from a fundamental change in thinking by the government after decades of ensuring Singapore Airlines was protected, and the reforms point to similar policy shifts across Asia. 'Singapore has been particularly aggressive in stating its position. The governemnt here has said quite clearly from the outset that national carrier interests are no longer paramount,' he said.

The analysts agreed that the flow-on economic impacts of travellers coming to Singapore were now much more highly regarded by the Singapore government than simply the revenue from a passenger fare. - AFP

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

SEPT 28, 2004
Six awards in Sept for Changi Airport

CHANGI Airport is giving its competition a run for the money: It has bagged six awards given out by aviation organisations and industry magazines so far this month.

These include being named best airport in the world for the 13th straight year by readers of the Asia-Pacific edition of Business Traveller magazine.

The same group also voted it as having the best duty-free shopping.

Readers of Travel Savvy, which is circulated mainly in the United States and in Britain, picked it as the best in the world, as did those surveyed by the British edition of Conde Nast Traveller, which has a circulation of about 83,000.

The magazine's rankings are recognised worldwide as a benchmark for the travel industry.

In all, the airport has bagged 11 prizes so far this year and industry observers are predicting it will not only meet but also exceed last year's haul of 20.

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore director-general Wong Woon Liong said in a statement: 'At Changi Airport, our customers come first. These awards will spur us to work even harder to serve them better.'

The managing director of Business Traveller (UK), Mr Julian Gregory, said: 'While there has been tough competition from other airports in places such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Amsterdam and London, the constant innovation and reliability of services such as shopping, luggage retrieval and immigration at Changi Airport has set the Singapore airport apart.'

In a website posting, editors of Conde Nast Traveller said: 'If your flight is going to be late, you would rather be delayed at Singapore's Changi Airport...'

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 30 Sep 2004

SINCAIR to boost aviation safety in S'pore

SINGAPORE - The Government has taken steps to promote aviation safety in Singapore with the setting up of the Singapore Confidential Aviation Incident Reporting (SINCAIR) Programme which takes effect on Friday.

Minister of State for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua announced this at the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association (IFALPA) Safety Seminar.

She said the aim of SINCAIR is to enhance aviation safety through the collection of feedback on incidents that would otherwise not be reported through other channels or which may appear minor.

She added that safety lessons can be drawn from the reported incidents, including non-serious ones, and share such information amongst the aviation community in Singapore.

The feedback will enable organisations participating in the programme to learn from these experiences and improve their own procedures and design.

SINCAIR provides a channel for the reporting of aviation incidents and safety deficiencies while protecting the individual's identity.

The procedures used have taken into account the practices of a number of established and similar systems overseas and are international best practices.

SINCAIR is a proactive safety programme that targets all users and operatives of Singapore's aviation system and will adopt a rigorous confidentiality arrangement.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 01 Oct 2004

Changi Airport adds Amritsar to India network

SINGAPORE - Singapore Changi Airport has improved its connectivity with India further by adding a new link to Amritsar, a city in the state of Punjab.

With the inclusion of Amritsar, Singapore is now connected to eleven cities in India by five airlines.

The other ten cities are Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Cochin and Trivandrum.

The thrice-weekly non-stop flights by Singapore Airlines to Amritsar depart Changi Airport every Wednesday at 1445 hours and reach Amritsar at 1800 hours.

On Fridays and Sundays, the flights depart Singapore for Amritsar at 1600 hours and reach its destination at 1915 hours.

Amritsar is the second city in India to join Changi Airport's network this year.

The first was Ahmedabad, which Singapore Airlines began mounting services to in July 2004.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 01 October 2004 2144 hrs

Changi Airport undergoing S$45m upgrading for super-jumbo A380
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Changi Airport is getting ready to welcome the super-sized Airbus A380. It is investing S$45 million to accommodate the much larger plane and the increase in passenger load.

Works started early this year and should be completed in time to welcome the plane when it takes to the skies in 2006.

The A380 is a super-sized plane with two decks that can accommodate up to 550 passengers or about 30 percent more than a 747.

By the second quarter of 2006, Singapore Airlines will be the first airline worldwide to use it.

As part of preparations, while its runways are fine, Changi has to widen the runway shoulders.

Once the A380 lands, taxiway junctions will also have to be widened for it to turn easily.

Parking bays will also have to be adjusted so that there is a safe distance between planes.

But if you are one of its 550 passengers, boarding and disembarking from such a large plane can be tricky.

Changi is considering various aerobridge options, including aerobidges to both main and upper decks, and even increasing this to three aerobridges.

Depending on the options, getting on and off a A380 can take between 11 and 24 minutes.

Other changes include expanding passenger holding areas, and lengthening luggage conveyor belts from the current 70 metres to about 90 metres.

These plans were revealed by airport planners at an international aviation safety conference organised by ALPA-S. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

OCT 2, 2004
You don't have to get baggage screened before airport check-in
Baggage screening goes behind the scenes at Changi Airport's Terminal 1; Terminal 2 will get new system next year

By Karamjit Kaur

TRAVELLERS at Changi Airport Terminal 1 can now walk straight up to their check-in counter with their luggage, hand it over and collect their boarding passes.

A new baggage screening system for both terminals, costing $80 million, will check their bags behind closed doors.

Previously, passengers had to stop first at a security station and lift their bags onto a conveyor belt to be screened, either by a bulky X-ray machine or by a security staff member with a hand-held scanner.

The change, introduced a month ago, has been welcomed by passengers and airlines, who are delighted with the shorter queueing time.

'It effectively means you queue once, not twice,' said housewife Joyce Krishna, 52. 'Sometimes, if the flight is full and there's a long line, the wait at the security station can be about 10-15 minutes.'

Aside from convenience, the public area is also clearer now that the X-ray machines have gone, she said.

Mr Bernard Lim, deputy director (aviation security) with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), told The Straits Times that the new system, with multiple levels of checks, will be introduced in Terminal 2 early next year.

Meanwhile, airlines such as Cathay Pacific said there had been a discernible drop in queueing time during check-in.

'It makes life a lot easier for passengers and makes for a much more orderly check-in procedure,' said its airport services manager (Singapore), Mr Rolando Delfin.

With the new system, the airport now has different types of screening equipment, said Mr Lim.

New X-ray machines can scan luggage from various angles, while explosive-detection systems use computer tomography - similar to the technology used in the medical field - to do scans. If necessary, highly suspicious bags are then placed in a special capsule called the threat containment vessel for disposal.

In most cases, the screening process takes just a few minutes but, if necessary, owners may be contacted to open their bags, said Mr Lim.

Travellers interviewed were grateful for the heightened vigilance, given the terror threat.

Businessman Alex Chan, 45, who flies four or five times a year, said: 'Air travel remains a target for terrorists, so any extra precaution taken is a good thing, especially for people who fly often.'

His only worry: 'What if there's a last-minute problem with my bag and I miss my flight?'

No need to worry, said Mr Lim: 'Since the system started in Terminal 1, only a handful of passengers have been contacted and asked to open their bags for further checks. None of them missed their flights as the checks were done in time.'

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

OCT 5, 2004
RETAIL BOOM
Airport sales of electronic goods up 20%
More space being offered to retailers of consumer electronics

CHANGI Airport is giving Sim Lim Square and Funan - The IT Mall a run for their money as a place that offers good deals in consumer electronics.

Sales of electronics and IT products at the airport rose 20 per cent between January and August, compared to the same period last year when Sars struck, and increased 15 per cent over 2002, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

To cater to this growing demand, the airport has offered more retail space in Terminals 1 and 2 for consumer electronics retailers.

It also opened a facility recently for the IT savvy at Terminal 2's transit area. Called iConnect, this includes six live game stations for Xbox users and 30 Internet terminals with free voice and video-chat capabilities.

And this year's third annual Digital Connection fair, which is now on at Terminal 2 until Oct 24, is bigger than before.

Among the offers at the event are Panasonic's DMC-LC50 digital camera, going for $380, down from its usual price of $459, and the PalmOne Treo 600 Smartphone for $888, down from its usual price of $988.

Vendors' services also include arranging for purchases to be shipped abroad and storing items for buyers.

The consumer electronics sector yielded the third highest concession takings among the airport's retail and food and beverage outlets. Concession takings include commissions from vendors and retailers.

The sector's takings follow traditionally high takings in liquor and tobacco, which hold top place, followed by perfumes and cosmetics, said CAAS.

The top spenders are from Australia and Europe, who account for half the amount spent at the airport's eight IT outlets, said CAAS.

It declined to reveal total sales figures of all sectors at the airport, saying only that consumer electronics made up 15 per cent of this last year, up from 12 per cent in 2002.

Total earnings from the airport's food and beverage and retail outlets amounted to $292 million for the last financial year ending this March.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

OCT 6, 2004
Budget terminal: 28 firms bid for job
Bids range from $23m to $45m; contract expected to be awarded by year end and terminal should be ready by 2006

By Goh Chin Lian

TWENTY-EIGHT local and foreign companies are vying to design and build Singapore's first passenger terminal for low-cost airlines.

The bids for the single-storey building start from $23 million, said a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

But a website for government tenders shows that most of the bids are between $30 million and $40 million.

Woh Hup, a Singapore company, had the highest: $45.18 million.

Other local companies to make bids include builders of condominiums, HDB flatsand offices but with no experience in airport terminals. They include Poh Lian Construction and Chiu Teng Construction.

Another local builder is SembCorp Engineers and Constructors, which built the $140-million extension of Changi Terminal 2.

The foreign companies include Bovis Lend Lease, which is headquartered in London, Hong Kong's Gammon Construction, Japan's Shimizu Corporation and China Construction (South Pacific) Development Co.

The tender, which closed on Sept 29, is expected to be awarded by the end of this year, said CAAS.

It also said the submissions will be evaluated on such qualitative criteria as track record, experience, design proposal and cost effectiveness.

The budget terminal, expected to be ready by early 2006, will be spartan compared to the two existing terminals at Changi and the $1.5-billion Terminal 3 being built.

It will not have aerobridges, VIP lounges, holding rooms for passengers, lifts, escalators or travellators.

Passengers on connecting flights at the other terminals will have to take their luggage with them when travelling to the low-cost terminal on a shuttle bus. They will also have to walk out in the open to their plane.

However, in its statement, CAAS said travellers can find services such as money changers, duty-free shopping, food and beverage as well as ramps for the less mobile.

The terminal will initially have six aircraft parking bays, with Tiger Airways the only airline that has said it would use the terminal.

Sited at Changi next to the Singapore Airport Terminal Services In-flight Catering Centre 1, the building will be able to handle up to 2.7 million passengers a year.

Changi's current Terminal 1 can handle 21 million and Terminal 2, 23 million, with the upcoming Terminal 3 able to handle 20 million.

Passengers could pay $18 or less in airport taxes at the low-cost carrier terminal, compared to $21 at the existing terminals.

Airlines that use it could pay about 20 per cent less.

CAAS had said before that passenger and airline charges will not be able to recover all the money spent on the terminal. Much of it will have to come from the sale of duty-free goods as well as food and beverage.

Although low-cost carrier passengers are said to be unlikely to spend 'as much on shopping and eating at the airport compared to passengers of regular airlines', CAAS said it was 'prepared to take a calculated risk'.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

OCT 6, 2004
KL, S'pore hoping to boost air links
Both countries should look at enhancing air cooperation to boost tourism and business, say Premiers Lee and Abdullah

By Reme Ahmad

KUALA LUMPUR - Singapore and Malaysia yesterday raised hopes that more low-cost and other airlines could fly between the two capitals.

Both prime ministers, at the end of their meeting, said the neighbours should look at enhancing air ties as these could boost tourism and business traffic.

Visiting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that when he landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday evening, he saw many red and white 'tail colours' of no-frills carrier Air Asia.

'There would be other airlines, too, starting up.

'I think there is opportunity for the industry and for the two countries because the more linkages for the two countries, I think the greater the benefits for tourism, for business,' he said.

The KL-Singapore route is among the top 10 busiest in the region.

Said Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: 'We will allow our airlines to talk to each other and find ways and means how they can also cooperate. We can promote both Singapore and Malaysia together.'

No details were given. But it was understood that Malaysia is keen to allow more low-cost carriers to ply the route between the two capitals now dominated by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

Data from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines showed that from April 2002 to March 2003, the route was the fourth most popular between Asian cities, carrying 1.9 million passengers. Almost all of them flew SIA and MAS.

The most popular route is Hong Kong-Taipei, followed by Bangkok-Singapore and Seoul-Tokyo.

One big question left unanswered is why should SIA and MAS allow other airlines to elbow into the lucrative route that both have monopolised.

Meanwhile, the two premiers yesterday signed a new agreement to avoid double taxation and prevent avoidance of income tax payment.

The existing deal, signed in 1968 and amended by a supplementary agreement signed in 1973, has been in force for more than 30 years.

'Since then, economic circumstances and policies of the two countries have changed. The terms of the new agreement reflect these changes.

'The new agreement will also further strengthen the economic relations between the two countries,' said a statement issued by Singapore's Ministry of Finance.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 08 Oct 2004

Entertainment logistics emerging in S'pore

Surge in shows and concerts open up niche business for freight forwarders

By JEAN CHUA

(SINGAPORE) With the concert industry growing rapidly in Asia, more opportunities are emerging for the 'entertainment logistics' business here, say logistics executives.

Freight forwarders in Singapore are working hard at differentiating themselves and developing this niche, driven by the surge in the number of entertainers coming this way.

GAC Logistics is one such company and the one behind ensuring last night's Alicia Keys show.

'Bands and performers are a very different clientele,' GAC's sales and marketing manager Kenneth Bybjerg told BT in an interview. 'It may seem that every one who can move a box from A to B can do entertainment logistics, but that's not true,' he said.

'We have been doing entertainment logistics for about six years and find that building relationships and good communications with the production manager and concert promoter are important factors that help ensure things go smoothly,' he said, explaining how the company has been working hard towards becoming the top entertainment logistics firm in Asia.

The international logistics company moved in 8.6 tonnes of musical instruments, electric accessories, sound mixers, stage set-ups, props, costumes and a production/mobile office into Singapore on Wednesday. Last night, the moment the show was over, a GAC team moved in and within hours the show was on the road again.

GAC Logistics is the freight forwarding division of Gulf Agency Company, which also has shipping and marine services. Entertainment logistics contributes about 8-10 per cent of GAC Logistics' operating income in Singapore.

GAC, which has a large Singapore-based operation, clinched the logistics contract for the piano-playing R&B diva's current Asian tour. For Keys' shows, GAC will have to move equipment and other stores to Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok and Seoul - all in 10 days.

This year, GAC has taken care of equipment and merchandise for TOTO, David Bowie, Deep Purple, The Cooking Show, the Singapore National Day Parade, Sammi Cheng and Scorpions. 'The concert industry is growing rapidly in Asia,' said Mr Bybjerg. 'There are more concert venues, for example, in Singapore, and Asia is not so restrictive anymore. The region accounts for a fair bit of people, and musicians realise it's important to play here.'

'We expect to grow together with the industry.' he said.

A concert can involve as much as 30 tons of equipment, like in The Rollings Stones' Licks World Tour last year, and of crucial importance is coordination between the different destinations and contingency planning, said Mr Bybjerg.

The Stones chartered a Boeing 747 plane for their equipment last year.

'We don't just move the cargo from one place to another,' said Ronnie Soon, GAC's project manager for logistics services. 'We get the band's schedule two to three months ahead of time and we have to coordinate with our offices in every location, prepare, organise, find the best options, propose and suggest.'

For each show, GAC is involved from the beginning, the planning phase, to the advising phase. GAC advises tour promoters and production managers on the best options to transport the equipment.

The company's team of 10 in charge of entertainment logistics has also to become experts in the customs clearance procedures and regulatory environment of the Asian countries.

Because there is often only a window of several hours after a show to pack up and move to the next destination, timing is crucial.

GAC had to be quick to react last year when the Hong Kong show of The Rolling Stones concert was cancelled because of the Sars outbreak. The company had to inform their personnel on the ground several hours before the B747 was due to take off that the show was a 'no go'. Similarly, the Bangkok show was cancelled because the plane at the previous location, Mumbai, was delayed by a ground accident and the band could not get there on time, said Mr Soon.

'The Jakarta show was cancelled because of the recent bombing and we have to make contingency plans for things like that,' said Mr Soon.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

oh I hope low cost routes open between Singapore & KL - ridiculous that you can get cheap deals to BKK but not KL. However should this happen, that will take steam out of Air Asia's plans to use Senai to steal the Singapore market.

Singapore and Malaysia to discuss air link expansion soon

8 Oct 2004

By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Aviation authorities from Singapore and Malaysia will meet soon to discuss the expansion of air links between the countries.

And there's more good news for travellers - Changi Airport Terminal 2's facelift is 40 percent complete, including a new snazzy Skyplex Entertainment Lounge.

The fruit of a $240 million investment is shaping up quickly - from the glass-panelled Departure Hall to the lush greenery and expansion of transit areas to include new outlets and even a foot reflexology centre.

Touring the facilities, Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said he has also contacted his Malaysian counterpart to discuss prospects of expanding air links.

This comes after Prime Ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Abdullah Badawi talked about it when they met earlier this week.

Currently, Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines have a virtual monopoly on the Singapore-KL route, by virtue of a 32-year air services agreement.

Mr Yeo said: "Our interest is really growing our economies, Singapore's economy, Malaysia's economy, and that cannot be determined by the fortunes of the two airlines.

"That is the approach we are taking and for Singapore, that has always been the approach, which is why we have been very liberal in giving out air rights to other countries.

"And SIA will have to face up to the challenge and I think they have done that very well, and if we are able to expand the air links between Singapore and Malaysia, I think that will definitely help to boost the economies of both sides."

In fact, Mr Yeo said air links between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have fallen behind compared to other routes.

There are now 184 flights a week between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, compared to 188 flights between Singapore and Hong Kong and 380 between Singapore and Bangkok.

Meantime, passengers can watch movies, sports and news programmes at the Skyplex Entertainment Lounge which boasts cutting-edge audio-visual technologies.

Travellers can now get to see "live" images of famous landmarks and locations, as well as weather information from 10 cities across the world, from a special touch screen panel - a first in Southeast Asia.

oh I hope low cost routes open between Singapore & KL - ridiculous that you can get cheap deals to BKK but not KL. However should this happen, that will take steam out of Air Asia's plans to use Senai to steal the Singapore market.


Haha.....this will give fernandaz something to whine about(again)......:lol:

My friend from KL who use the airport yesterday notice the difference in changi T2.....he told me he was amazed(and it's only 40% done:eek: )......

Business Times - 09 Oct 2004

Airport showcases Made in S'pore goods

THE next time you are catching a flight from Changi Airport Terminal 2, don't be surprised to see picture displays of products on giant panels in the departure/transit lounge.

Advertisements they are not. They are actually exhibits in the 'Made in Singapore Gallery' - launched yesterday by Heng Chee How, Minister of State for Trade & Industry.

The Gallery@Changi showcases a range of global brand name products that are made in Singapore, from popular consumer products to high-end industrial components, by local and international companies.

It is another initiative under the Economic Development Board's (EDB) Made in Singapore programme to reinforce Singapore's position as an attractive global manufacturing location.

'We expect this Gallery to be an effective communication platform as there are some 25 million passengers from all over the world that pass through Changi airport each year, all of whom are investors or consumers,' said EDB managing director Ko Kheng Hwa.

Mr Ko also said that since these visitors do not get a chance to visit the factories here, there is a need to showcase the products that are made here.

'Hopefully, when the visitors buy these great products in their home country, they'll know that the products were made in Singapore. And the next time they see a made-in-Singapore product, they can be assured of the quality,' he added.

In the long run, consumers will have a high regard for products made here and manufacturers will know these products carry a premium, said Mr Ko.

'This will make Singapore a more attractive location for manufacturing. The next time manufacturers are considering building a new plant, they will think of Singapore.'

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

I have been getting the impression that T2 is really undergoing a very powerful makeover - sounds really good - they must be really serious about the makeover too, despite T3 coming in a few years.

do you have any recent pics? Or perhaps its time to create a specific thread for transportation pics as threads like these accumulate news and the pics will be wasted :)

Most of the pictures are here......
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=111630&page=25&pp=20

Haha.....this will give fernandaz something to whine about(again)......:lol:

My friend from KL who use the airport yesterday notice the difference in changi T2.....he told me he was amazed(and it's only 40% done:eek: )......

I'm pretty sure that Fernandez would have liked to use S'pore all along...but for his own reasons, decided Senai was an ok 2nd choice. He must have been mad if he didn't want to fly out of Singapore as 1st option......

I always imagined that he (being a number cruncher), would have had all these figures turning around his head and finally, with leap of faith sorta thing, took the plunge into Johor.

Senai is obvioulsly important to AirAsia no matter what....but it's no hub.

October 14, 2004

Bond pulls in crowd at Changi

By Zubaidah Nazeer

A TOUCH of glamour hit Changi Airport yesterday in the form of four scantily-clad women - also known as Bond.

http://www.streats.com.sg/article/data/images/es041014b.jpg

As soon as concert organiser LAMC's Laurrieta Alaabons asked the contemporary-classical group to pose on stage for a meet-and-greet session, fans and travellers went berserk.

They whipped out cameras and camera phones and one was even seen video-taping the moment.

Hardly surprising. After all, the British lasses, often dubbed the Classical Spice Girls, are not just talented musically.

Dressed in tight jeans and revealing tops, they were a fetching sight.

Haylie Ecker, 27, who plays first violin; Eos Chater, 28, who plays second violin; Tania Davis, 28, who plays the viola; and Gay-Yee Westerhoff, 29, who plays the cello, forced some to have to rush to make their flights.

One of them was Australian Mark Nussbaum, 36, who was heading to Bali.

The professional photographer, who owns all three Bond albums, including the latest, Classified, told Streats that he had queued up overnight to get fourth-row tickets to the girls' concert in Melbourne.

He said: "Look at them. They are gorgeous... And their music sounds good, too."

In the brief 20 minutes that the girls appeared for, they sold about 50 copies of their latest album, which they autographed for fans.

When asked about whether it concerns them that their image is getting more attention than their music, Davis said: "We've been musicians since we were small. We're beyond image now."

The girls, who will appear in the second leg of their world tour tonight, had clearly had a frenzied day, which started at 8am with a TV morning-show interview.

Said Davis: "I feel (that) a massage, which I haven't had for a few months now, would be the best thing that can happen now!"

Copyright © Singapore Press Holdings, 2004. All rights reserved.

OCT 17, 2004
KL-S'pore open-skies policy will take a few years, says minister
KUALA LUMPUR

THE much-awaited 'open skies' agreement with Singapore will take a few years to materialise, according to Malaysian Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy.

It is unlikely to happen immediately, he said, as the two countries would take some time to enhance their air services before they decide to totally throw open the air traffic between them.

Asean countries have agreed that restrictions on the number of flights that airlines can operate between capitals will be lifted by 2008 as part of a move towards a limited open-skies framework by 2015.

Datuk Seri Chan said in an interview with Bernama, however, that the routes could be opened up without having to adhere strictly to the timeframe. 'It would be a gradual process...maybe a few years.

'At this level, we are more geared towards enhancing air services, which would eventually lead to the open-skies policy.'

As to the question of when this would happen, he said: 'We leave it open. Let us discuss first, but ultimately, it would lead to the open-skies policy.'

The Malaysian government is willing to review the bilateral air services agreement, he said. The last time the 32-year-old agreement was reviewed was in 1980.

The pact gives Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Singapore Airlines (SIA) a virtual monopoly over flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

This has resulted in the emergence of restricted competition on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore sector, leading to both MAS and SIA operating eight out of 10 flights a day or 154 out of the 184 flights a week.

That situation may change. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian counterpart Abdullah Ahmad Badawi earlier this month expressed interest in opening up the routes to boost tourism and business traffic.

A meeting between Singapore Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong and Datuk Seri Chan is in the offing.

Datuk Seri Chan said: 'It has been quite a few years since we talked to Singapore on cooperation on the aviation sector. It is good that we have now started to talk again.'

Noting that the number of flights in the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore sector had fallen behind other sectors, Mr Yeo had said recently that the talks on expanding the air links were 'long overdue, and there was much catching up to do'.

Datuk Seri Chan said he believed more air links would ultimately lead to an open-skies policy without jeopardising the local aviation industry.

'I think we are not talking about the interest of our airlines, but more so on national interest. It (the policy) can facilitate more trade, tourism and other sectors.'

The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route has been considered one of the Asia's most protected and fourth busiest. More traffic rights on the route are expected to lead to a drastic fall in fares. \-- Bernama

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 17 October 2004 1606 hrs

Changi Airport woos IT shoppers with digital fair for travellers
By Yvonne Cheong, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : When it comes to buying laptops or digital cameras, many locals and tourists head for Sim Lim Square or Funan Centre. But now Changi Airport also wants to be known as an IT shopping haven.

The airport's digital fair for travellers is on till 24 October.

Digital cameras, laptops, and MP3 players are some of the favourite buys among travellers passing through Changi Airport.

And this month, shoppers are in for a treat.

At the airport's IT fair, retailers at the terminals will compete with downtown shops by offering more freebies.

IT and consumer electronic goods are the third most popular items at Changi Airport, after liquor & tabacco, and perfumes & cosmetics.

In fact, IT-related sales at Changi Airport were up 20 percent in the first eight months of this year, compared to last year, and Australian and European travellers make up half of the sales.

The airport says this is because shops at its terminals offer international warranties and there is no goods and service tax.

"Sometimes it's cheaper at the airport, especially (compared to) some countries where you have to pay the tax for it," said one traveller.

"I'm looking at cameras, digital cameras, but compared to the price in America, it's very expensive," another said.

But others still prefer to go downtown if they had the time.

"I think I would go to the town -- more shops. Friends told me you can go to shops and the prices are not the same. But we can't go to the town because we are here two hours," said one shopper.

Jeffrey Loke, senior commercial manager at CAAS, said, "We have some requests from websites as well as passengers who just e-mail us to ask for the latest phones or the latest MP3 players because most of these tend not to be available at their country, or are out of stock or they don't have the colour they want."

For those who do not want to buy anything there are also six Xbox Live game stations and 30 Internet terminals at Terminal 2. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Oct 20, 2004
Open skies the way to go for Singapore and KL
Both sides risk losing out to cheaper cities in region if they shackle air travel
By Karamjit Kaur

A RETURN ticket between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur costs $304, whether you fly Singapore Airlines or Malaysia Airways.

In this era of budget airlines, it is at best an anachronism, at worst, daylight robbery.

All that could change, though, now that prime ministers Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia are thinking of revising the 32-year-old bilateral air service agreement and opening the route to competition.

While this poses a challenge to SIA and MAS, it is also expected to boost the economies of both countries by generating more tourism and business traffic.

With such evident benefits, it's reasonable to wonder why it has taken so long for a concrete move to be made on the issue.

The answer lies in the nature of air service agreements and the need to protect the bottom line of airlines and airports. In the case of Singapore and Malaysia, these already complex considerations are compounded by historical and political rivalries.

Securing the rights for an airline to fly to a foreign country is the end-result of delicate manoeuvring, with one eye on the commercial interests of the country's carrier(s) and the other on the spin-off benefits that increased traffic brings to the country and its airport.

After more than two decades, SIA is still eyeing the lucrative Australia-US route and negotiations are continuing for Singapore-based carriers to gain more access to India and China.

For Singapore, the big prize is open skies: The right for its airlines to fly as many times as they choose to any point in the target country and, from there, secure 'beyond rights' to fly to a third country. It is a prize rarely won.

Of the more than 90 air agreements Singapore has signed so far, only eight, including those with the US and New Zealand, provide for open skies. The rest restrict the number of destinations to which Singapore-based carriers can fly, how many flights they can operate and how many passengers they can carry.

Because countries may have several airlines and not all may want to fly to the same points, every air service agreement also includes the names of the designated carrier or carriers.

Governments are usually cautious about dishing out air rights, because their airlines may end up losing traffic and revenue. For example, if SIA is allowed to operate a Sydney-Los Angeles service, Qantas Airways, which has a virtual monopoly on the route, would suffer.

Fifth freedom rights, which allow an airline like SIA to pick up passengers from one foreign country and offload them in another foreign country, are particularly difficult to secure.

While air agreements do not usually require the consent of national carriers, it is common procedure for governments to consult their airlines before deals are sealed, and in countries where major airlines have a lot of clout, their interests often come before those of the country as a whole.

For Singapore, which wants Changi Airport to become the region's busiest, the more carriers that fly here, the better. Other countries in the region, though, which have similar ambitions for their own airports, may not want their own carriers to feed Singapore too many services. The thinking is: Why give Changi the business?

For a small country like Singapore, it is usually a case of give more and take less, and the strategy seems to have worked so far.

As one industry veteran put it: 'Air talks are difficult enough but when it comes to Singapore and Malaysia, they become even more difficult because there is so much historical baggage.

'Add to it the political dimension and the proximity of the two countries and you have quite a challenge.'

When Malayan Airlines split into SIA and MAS in 1972, it was agreed that the Malaysians would take over the domestic market while SIA focused on international routes. As a result, the Malaysian government had little incentive to give SIA the rights to fly to Malaysia because it had nothing to gain in return.

For a long time, air travel between the two countries was just Singapore-KL. The deal was: 'You fly to one point in my country and I fly to one point in yours.'

In 1980, that changed.

After eight rounds of talks over almost three years, both sides agreed to have bigger aircraft ply the route, and with increasing frequency. MAS was also allowed to operate flights to Singapore from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia. SIA was given access to Penang, but not the other two cities.

It is believed that Malaysian fears of closer ties between predominantly Chinese Singapore and East Malaysia were behind this slightly imbalanced agreement.

The close proximity of Changi and Kuala Lumpur - flying time is a mere 45 minutes - poses other problems.

The closer the competitor, the greater the probability that an outside airline will bypass one in favour of the other, to avoid overlapping services.

Where the growth of one airport can be at the expense of another, it invariably poses a problem.

Against such a complex backdrop, SIA and MAS chose to focus on building their own international networks instead. Besides, with so much money to be made in long-haul sectors, there was little incentive for either airline to push their governments into a more open agreement.

In fact, both SIA and MAS have nothing much to gain and quite a bit to lose if other airlines, especially the new budget carriers, enter the market. On short flights such as Singapore-KL, passengers are likely to care only about the fare.

Indeed, it's possible that if air links are expanded, MAS and SIA may even withdraw from the Singapore-Malaysia market altogether. And with little harm done to either. If this is the case, then both governments know they can approach the issue with less at stake.

There is another, possibly more important, reason.

It is clearly not in the interests of either Singapore or Malaysia to have traffic diverted to other cities like Bangkok, Jakarta and Hong Kong, where air fares are much lower. Rather than watch each other like hawks, both sides seem to be realising that, even if one side has to lose out, in the long term there is much more to gain by promoting Singapore-Malaysia air travel than shackling it.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Business Times - 20 Oct 2004

Changi Airport's Sept passenger,cargo volumes up

SINGAPORE - Air cargo and passenger volumes at Singapore Changi Airport continued their steady climbs in September.

Changi Airport has handled over 1.3 million tonnes of airfreight in the first nine months of this year, chalking an 11.5 per cent jump from the corresponding period a year ago and an 8.5 per cent hike from January to September 2002.

The Airport handled 155,802 tonnes of airfreight last month, the third time this year that monthly air cargo volume has crossed the 150,000-tonne mark.

Changi Airport processed 156,032 tonnes of air cargo in March 2004 and 151,494 tonnes of air cargo in July 2004.

Before these peaks, airfreight volume had hit a record high of 150,641 tonnes in October 2003.

The airfreight volume of 155,802 tonnes in September 2004 represents a 10.2 per cent increase from a year ago, and a 12.2 per cent rise from September 2002.

In all, The upward trend of air cargo volume at Changi Airport is in line with the general economic recovery of Singapore this year.

Growth was broad-based, with strong demand especially from the Chinese and Indian markets.

Changi Airport was ranked 4th busiest air cargo hub in Asia last year, with 1.61 million tonnes of airfreight traffic processed here.

Meanwhile, passenger traffic at Changi Airport also rose last month to 2.44 million passengers.

This is an 8.8 per cent from September 2003 and 4.1 per cent stronger than September 2002's number.

Besides seeing an increase in traffic, Changi Airport has also increased its haul of international awards with the addition of three awards in the first two weeks of October.

The first was presented by international periodical, TIME, on 6 October 2004.

Changi Airport topped the list as Favourite Asian Airport, ahead of Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the 4th Annual TIME Readers' Choice Travel Awards.

Nearly 2,500 TIME readers across the region cast their votes in the yearly survey and some 70 per cent of them chose Changi Airport.

Changi Airport has emerged in the top spot since the annual awards were launched in 2001.

Changi Airport received its second international recognition in the month of October at the annual Telegraph Travel Awards ceremony held on 11 October 2004 in London.

Readers of UK newspapers, The Daily Telegraph & The Sunday Telegraph, singled out Changi Airport for the 'Best International Airport' award.

This marked the seventh year that Changi Airport is receiving this award.

On 12 October in Bangkok, Changi Airport collected the 'Hall of Fame' Airport award from Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) Asia, a travel industry publication in the Asia-Pacific.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oct 21, 2004
Passenger flow up

THE number of passengers going through Changi Airport continues to swell.

Last month, it saw 2.44 million, bringing the total for the first nine months of the year to 22.1 million.

This is more than the record 21.5 million it serviced from January to September 2002, which was a bumper year.

If the pace of traffic continues, the final passenger tally will easily top 30 million by year-end, the highest in the airport's history.

Changi also handled 155,802 tonnes of air cargo last month, up 10.2 per cent from a year earlier and 12.2 per cent compared to September 2002.

In a statement yesterday, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said: 'The upward trend in cargo volume is in line with the general economic recovery of Singapore this year.

'Growth was broad-based, with strong demand especially from the Chinese and Indian markets.'

Last year, the airport was ranked the fourth busiest air cargo hub in Asia, with 1.61 million tonnes processed.

Despite the good show, Changi continues to battle with other regional airports - in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong - to maintain and grow its status as the premier air hub in the region.

To keep pace with the competition and attract visitors, improvements are continuously being made.

Terminal 2 is now being upgraded, while work on Terminal 1 will start soon.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

For example, if SIA is allowed to operate a Sydney-Los Angeles service, Qantas Airways, which has a virtual monopoly on the route, would suffer.

Qantas is pathetic

It is believed that Malaysian fears of closer ties between predominantly Chinese Singapore and East Malaysia were behind this slightly imbalanced agreement.

if this rumour was true..OMG :eek: