Singapore Changi International Airport - Definately #1!!! [Archive]

RafflesCity

February 27th, 2004, 02:53 PM

Originally posted by gakei

I do not mean that is a significant issue, however, my points are that:

1) I agree signs are important, and clear signs are appreciated. However, not all pax can understand signs. For examples the elderly. They only tend to follow others. If the main pax flow is not unique enough, they may get lost a bit easier.

2) Security issue - I guess there should be no doubt that arr pax should pass through the security and immgration check, and leave airside as immediate as possible. However, the SIN design is that arr pax can stay in the airside, get mixed with the dep pax, for a long long time without being recorded and checked.

Though I only visit a limited number of international airports, I do not note any other airports of the same size as SIN do have such "mixed" design.

Therefore I just wonder SIN as a modernized international airport built in 1980s, will have that "mixed" design. Can any of you give me more examples of airports for the different designs above and discuss any advantage and disadvantage of them ? :)

1) No disrespect to the elderly but if they are following others blindly, shouldnt they be travelling accompanied by someone? Airlines and airports do provide escort services.

2) Arriving passengers have 2 choices: Enter Singapore (where they will be checked by immigration on a separate level) or board a connecting flight (where they are subject to security and boarding pass checks). I dont think these checks are done in a perfunctory manner. There are even armed soldiers on patrol.

I already said that many passengers using Changi are only on transit. Hence this system sounds ideal. It is also economically sensible as all the airport shops and attractions can serve passengers who want to arrive/depart/transit.

As for airports using separate systems I remember Vienna airport where I was making a connection. Plane arrives and passengers disembark via mobile stairs onto waiting buses (in the winter cold). Passport gets stamped once to enter the airport arrival hall and stamped another time to enter the departure hall to board connecting flight. Found it pretty weird and unnecessary. But I guess the airport doesnt have the necessary infrastructure (double level aerobridge/separate walkways) despite having it this way. Unless you are talking about an ultramodern swanky airport, I can imagine this method can be slow and a hassle for passengers.

I remember I didnt have this problem at Dubai International Airport which uses the mixed system. :)

mathewlau

February 28th, 2004, 09:48 AM

But the architecture at Changi is terrible

Those who say Changi is best should try to make a stop at HKG, Kansai or SFO at least once

RafflesCity

February 28th, 2004, 02:04 PM

Originally posted by mathewlau

But the architecture at Changi is terrible

Those who say Changi is best should try to make a stop at HKG, Kansai or SFO at least once

Ahh..but you're missing the point of Changi. Its been designed to be as user-friendly and functional as possible. Has the 'terrible' architecture of Changi made it any less pleasant for passengers?Do you just look at the exterior or the interior of a building? ;)

And for fans of natural lighting and landscaped greenery, you guys got to check out T3 now u/c.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84051

RafflesCity

February 28th, 2004, 02:05 PM

Q+A with Teng Wai Man

No other Southeast Asian architect has quite the same breath of experience in airports. The success of Changi has made him much sought-after in locations as diverse as Seychelles, Manila, Fiji and China. Over the last 20 years, Teng Wai Man actively designed or design-managed each of Changi's terminal-related projects. He now heads the team at PWD Consultants' Airport Development Division (ADD) that will deliver T3. In a candid interview, he reflects on the evolution of airports and Changi.

Let's start with the airport. What are your thoughts on the architecture of airports?

The same as for architecture in general: that it seems to have become removed from the reality of its users. Architects - or maybe I should say the way architecture is presented by the architectural media - has divorced the building from its occupants. They have become its garnish, when they should be the primary ingredient. As a profession we sometimes subscribe to an inbred logic and a private audience.

Are you suggesting that architects don't pay enough attention to the way people see their buildings or do you think there is there a fundamental problem?

It's a fundamental problem. The way we define 'good' is askew. It shouldn't simply be a case of asking, "What do people want?" It should be designing with their eyes.

Is there a danger here of becoming overly pragmatic? Worse still, of ending up with the kitsch one sees in the Singapore suburbs. Is that not a reflection of what people want?

First, you have to distinguish between the public and private realms. The balance between public good and private entitlement shifts across the spectrum of buildings. For residential projects, yes, the owner is king. Even if you and I disagree with his preference we have to respect his rights. As designers we have the ultimate prerogative of turning down his commission. With an airport a designer must consider the needs of a community of users where there can be conflicting needs and preferences. Here, the architect becomes arbitrator.

Second, 'pragmatic' does not imply the absence of vision.

If the architect is merely arbitrator, wherein lies your authority?

I'm not suggesting that we should design by consensus. I am arguing that the designers are too often swayed by arguments of style and space or by what we perceive, as a professional community, to be the forces of history. We should start by asking what, at the heart of this project brief, is the human condition? This is not an argument for functionalism. There is more to the human condition than activity alone. We need to understand perceptions and realities. The history of humanity is the history of competing realities.

We need to start by asking what do the users of this building feel? What do they fear? Is their experience constant throughout the time they spend in the building? Does it depend on their gender, age or nationality?

My job is to bring together these needs, requirements and aspirations and integrate them into a cohesive entity, one that is more than the sum of its parts. The problem is that many of these user-needs are unspoken. You will not find them in the project brief. Often clients are incapable of articulating them, so the primary task of an architect is that of seeking out and finding insights into the human condition. He must then bring to bear technical and administrative skills that can help translate vision to reality.

Can questions about the human condition be answered during the design process?

Yes. Sometimes through observation and sometimes by extrapolation. Quite often by simply asking people what they think. It doesn't have to be a scientific process of data collection... nothing elaborate or expensive. The inclination to understand the human condition is in us: it is the ability to empathise, to extract from our own experiences a close approximation of another's. But we don't use this faculty much. When an architect receives a project brief, the first impulse is to look for similar buildings in magazines or books. The priorities of space, structural expressiveness and stylistic innovation live on as do the mistakes with regard to climate, clarity, scale.

Is this approximation harder with some buildings such as airports?

With airports there is more to reckon with - a greater number of people, more user groups, complex information systems. The overlap and conflict between realities can be bewildering at first. But it takes a little longer to sort out, that's all.

Coming back to the question of airport architecture, what is your criticism?

It's not so much a criticism of the airport itself as it is of the way it is discussed. A building cannot exist in a bubble. It's place in time goes beyond the rhetoric of architectural discourse. It upsets me when airports are talked about as if they were a private discourse on geometry and form. I contend that you cannot talk about Changi without also talking about aviation history. You cannot discuss Singapore's airport without understanding a little bit about Singapore. A building merely reflects its larger reality. And the better it is at reflecting this reality - of connecting people, place and time - the more interesting it becomes. Look at the architectural icons we know: the Opera House in Sydney or the Eiffel Tower. They became symbols of nationhood and technology not because the architectural community or the politicians dictated it so. They became important because they mirrored a reality that was already out there.

What about the making of the modern architectural icon, buildings designed to become symbols of regeneration and growth?

I think the jury is still out on those types of projects. They may have received considerable press, but I would argue that the true test is time. In an era of media hype, we are too quick to attribute greatness. This is not a critique of the buildings themselves nor the forces that created them. But something other than the architect or politician will decide their place in history.

When we set out to create Changi we had no idea how big it would become. This has not been - in all honesty - a result of an architectural discourse. It's been a process of election, a truly democratic decision. People have decided this airport has a place in their hearts.

But this decision has been artificial in one sense. Hasn't Changi been voted to its place through polls carried out by travel magazines of its readers?

In the beginning, yes - and we took it all with a pinch of salt. But the momentum of Changi's success has been tremendous. If you look at the list of accolades there is little doubt that not one but many groups think that Changi does what it does extremely well.

But really, what I am talking about is its bond with Singaporeans - which is a separate audience altogether. Changi has earned a place in their hearts, not just the frequent travellers. In my opinion that will be its true legacy - that it is a symbol of a nation.

It's been said that Changi Airport is functional. What is your response to that?

And so it is. It functions extremely well.

So what do you think makes it architecturally significant?

That it does its job well and does it in a creative way; that it sets standards with which others are forced to reckon. That it has grown organically and eloquently and managed to hold on - after 20 years in existence - to its design coherence. I think that our truest achievement is that we have given Singaporeans a building that they can be proud of. It gives us a sense of national pride and optimism. The airport has transcended function and become an icon. How many buildings in Asia can you name that have done that?

Surely Changi's success is due to its service standards?

Yes. And the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore does an amazing job of keeping those standards high. But that's not all. Changi's design is part of those standards. It reflects them. It amplifies them. Whether we are designing directional signs or planning a new terminal, we ask ourselves again and again: "How will this be used? How will the passenger see this? Will this be a memorable experience?" The building is like a glove that fits the hand that welcomes the visitor. Try giving a handshake with an oven mitt (laughs).

RafflesCity

February 28th, 2004, 02:07 PM

What were your first thoughts when Terminal 2 opened?

To be honest - and few architects will admit this about their work - it left me with a sense of awe, bordering on terror. You rarely see in your mind's eye the full effect of what you have created. All I could think at the time: 'My God. This is huge!' The scale was bewildering.

Were there criticisms of the building?

Of course. There were those who declared it TOO big and empty. But in a sense, they missed the point. In T2 we created a canvas, not a portrait. All too often we expect a building on opening day to have that lived-in feel. T2 took its time but it's there now. It has matured with the years. It has lent itself to change. The edges have softened. This building that seemed cold and uninviting on first encounter was saying the exact opposite. It was asking you to leave an imprint.

What were your inspirations at the time when T2 was on the drawing board?

Let me first say that I dislike trends. When the interior designers for T2 proposed stylised traveller palms, I said 'no!' I look for a timeless quality in architecture, the coming together of space and light. The building is a stage set for people, not an exercise in High Art or Pastiche, screaming for attention. The books I read as a student were Pattern Language and Places for People, which were about the integration of elements that make up the environment - landscaping, seating, handrails - for a setting in which the needs of the individual are paramount.

I recall students of architecture in the 1980s rushing out to buy the Charles Jencks' book on Postmodernism…

(laughs) Yes. There were pressures to be resisted. Postmodernism is like the Disco of architecture. We are a little embarrassed now to admit that we enjoyed Saturday Night Fever.

Did you give in to Postmodernism? Just a little, perhaps?

(laughs) No... not really. It was never my thing. I admired Kenzo Tange and Arthur Erickson. I was excited by the spatial gymnastics of John Portman - inspired by the restraint of Leandro Locsin.

Coming back to the Airport, what do you think of the new airports in the region - in particular the ones in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong? What can we learn from them?

They are excellent buildings. And they teach us much about the integration of technology and architecture, and the drive to humanise the airport. They also demonstrate that as designers, we need to take onboard a whole new set of issues. Airport design has become more complex.

For instance?

Green issues, energy simulations, intelligent facades that work with the climate. Complex roof systems that filter daylight collect water and act as solar collectors. These are part of the bigger agenda of the 21St century. At ADD we have acquired these skills or are working with people who are experts in their fields.

What about the dramatic roofs of these buildings?

That's not new and certainly over-hyped. Airports have always been metaphors. The media makes much of fancy roofs because they make for great photographs and captions. I think the real innovations are harder to photograph. It's harder to photograph simplicity and clarity.

Airports today are trying to be simpler in layout. Designers went the wrong way in the 1960s and 1970s with complex movement routes and opaque planning. The real challenge I think is to keep it simple. Not so simple that it is boring, of course.

If none of this is new, why haven't we seen it in Changi?

If you are talking about technology, much of it is invisible. Information technology for instance has made our buildings smarter. T2 had an advantage over T1, as will T3 over T1 and T2. If you refer to questions of clarity, I think you will find that Changi made that a part of its agenda in the 1970s with T1, long before it became fashionable to say so. But if you are referring to metaphors of form, this goes beyond the simple question of how an airport looks.

It is also a question of how it works, how easy it is to maintain, how expensive the technology is that goes into making these elaborate roofs. An airport is as much a reflection of its users as it is of the designers, and even more a reflection of its owners and operators. In the past, there was skepticism (amongst our clients) of doing things for architectural effect - which was I think justified after problems with recent designer terminals elsewhere in the world.

We've taken Changi - its many extensions and renovations since it opened in 1981 - one step at a time. Look at some of the concept proposals for Terminal 2 Extension in 1991: they were more cutting-edge than Terminal 1 Expansion (completed in 2000). We can only go as far as we are permitted. Sometimes far too much credit is given to designers.

So what changed with Terminal 1 Expansion?

Our clients agreed to push the frontier that little bit further. We are all more confident of the way in which building form and service delivery converge so there is greater room for exploration. The project has been about creating an experience of engineered quality.

Does it signify a shift in design approach?

Not in the sense that the experience should be people-centred. And that means having a building that can deliver a high standard of comfort in a manner that is easy to manage and maintain. If you are looking for the radical in Changi, you will not find it. It's been a process of evolution more than revolution.

But yes, we are trying to bring in more light, which is the key to creating an experience that is more humane. It adds depth and variety. Daylight enlivens, animates and clarifies. The humanisation of the airport begins with creating a sense of clarity. As a passenger you want views of parked aircraft - which is reassuring - and you need a sense of where you are in the larger airport complex.

Clarity is the first and hardest rule of airport design. There are so many demands on a passenger's attention that making the experience lucid and coherent is an enormous challenge. It begins with keeping circulation and movement options simple. You try to give the traveller a sense of where he is, all the time. Signs can only go so far because so much of what we know comes from our understanding of the whole. We deduce our location within the larger whole by what we can see. This means a passenger needs clear line-of-sight and views to the outside as often as possible. These principles are already in place with T1 and T2. What you are seeing with T1 E is the opening up of the building to the outside and a simultaneous refinement of the inside.

With the interiors there is now a smoother design statement in which everything is integrated, a deliberate attempt to break free from the 'air-con-and-light-fittings-in-the-ceiling' approach. These elements are now on the walls, on the floors, tucked into columns. You experience the building as something that is larger than the sum of its parts.

It's been 20 years since Changi opened. What have been the biggest changes since then?

Building technology, primarily. For instance the choice of glass in the days of T1 was limited. Having too many windows or large areas of glazing then meant a phenomenal heat load on the building with higher energy bills or localised discomfort. Also you could never get a particular type of glass to do everything. In an airport you need the envelope to deliver sound attenuation, sunshading, low thermal transmission, high transparency. One of our biggest problems in T2 was finding a glass that could give a view out at night (laughs).

Let's look at T3. What is in the project brief today that wasn't there when you set out to create T1 and T2?

Expectations have shifted. With T1 in 1981, we were moving out of Paya Lebar. That was the point of reference. Today we are striving to keep our ranking in the world: Number One, no less. With every addition through the 1990s, we have had to deliver on the expectations of what's already there and then improve on it. If we fail, it's big news. If we succeed, everyone shrugs: of course!

It sounds tough but really we have several things to our advantage. First the cumulative wisdom of our clients - who know precisely what it takes to run a world-class airport - and second, the ADD team which knows how to produce a building that can deliver on these promises.

I think that with T3 the biggest challenge will be refining the Changi experience. CAAS knows what the customer wants in terms of service standards - speed of customs clearance, courteous staff, clean toilets, etc. What's harder to pin down is what the customer expects in terms of architecture. How do you give him that little bit extra, a sense that he has been somewhere unforgettable? How does clockwork efficiency coexist with a sense of the spiritual? This is the Holy Grail of airport design everywhere. At Changi we have a couple of advantages: we know our strengths and we know our limits. We will combine what we know with what others know - pulling in expertise in certain strategic areas from around the world - and create something breathtaking.

Does that include achieving architectural prominence?

As defined by whom?

Whoever matters most.

That would be the building's users. And yes, we will deliver whatever is needed to keep Changi on top. But design is subjective at best. One man's mansion is another's kitsch palace.

You would deliver kitsch if you had to?

(Laughs) That's not what I meant. Anyhow our client is far too sophisticated to settle for that. I was talking about subjectivity in design. We keep a finger on the pulse of the building's users. How the passenger measures his experience and how he compares Changi with other airports. It's his expectations we must meet. Not those of the editor of some glossy design magazine.

==================

End of interview

heirloom

February 28th, 2004, 02:10 PM

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...

RafflesCity

February 28th, 2004, 02:19 PM

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

bad impression? how so?

heirloom

February 28th, 2004, 02:26 PM

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 :)

huaiwei

February 28th, 2004, 02:29 PM

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?

RafflesCity

February 28th, 2004, 02:29 PM

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:

huaiwei

February 28th, 2004, 02:51 PM

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:

heirloom

February 28th, 2004, 03:04 PM

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..

huaiwei

February 28th, 2004, 03:08 PM

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:

heirloom

February 28th, 2004, 03:15 PM

oh ummm yes haha

RafflesCity

February 28th, 2004, 03:24 PM

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:

heirloom

February 28th, 2004, 03:41 PM

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)

huaiwei

March 2nd, 2004, 10:33 PM

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

heirloom

March 3rd, 2004, 01:32 AM

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

RafflesCity

March 3rd, 2004, 05:15 AM

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?

huaiwei

March 3rd, 2004, 07:04 AM

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?

heirloom

March 3rd, 2004, 10:21 AM

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 :/

Julien

March 5th, 2004, 08:49 AM

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

mathewlau

March 5th, 2004, 12:17 PM

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

huaiwei

March 5th, 2004, 12:46 PM

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

heirloom

March 5th, 2004, 01:44 PM

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

RafflesCity

March 6th, 2004, 06:06 AM

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.

mathewlau

March 6th, 2004, 07:34 AM

mathewlau

March 6th, 2004, 07:39 AM

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

heirloom

March 6th, 2004, 08:05 AM

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..

ailiton

March 6th, 2004, 08:10 AM

How much does a massage cost?

heirloom

March 6th, 2004, 08:30 AM

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

liping_t

April 8th, 2004, 03:06 AM

well they must be blind :D..
changi is the best laid out and signed airport in asia....
KLIA is awful...

awful? that's some strong word to use....explain please.

RafflesCity

April 22nd, 2004, 10:30 PM

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

you mean you've tried the massage there?

huaiwei

April 23rd, 2004, 12:01 AM

you mean you've tried the massage there?
For him to go to the airport just to try the massage? I would think it has to be damn good! :D

heirloom

April 23rd, 2004, 02:21 AM

eh no i just checked it out at the website.. besides i get all squirmy with massages always run away when someone tries to massage me :runaway:

szehoong

April 23rd, 2004, 04:19 AM

yeah hk airport is great.. great views and design...

changi is starting to look old.. BUT its still #1 for me...... signage efficiency, service and facilities are without peer...

i have been to KLIA it is very poor compared to changi..

My first time flying out of KLIA.....I was the one doing all the navigation and I have to direct my parents around and I find the airport easy to navigate around. In fact it is one of the easiest airport in terms of navigation and you don't have to walk for miles to get to your departure gate (the X structural layout of the satellite terminals helps a lot). Likewise I found Changi very easy to navigate around despite it being an 'old' airport ......on both Terminals. :D

I might be biased but I always asked my friends and relatives on their experiences. Most have no problem with KLIA, Vancouver, CLK and Changi but many had problems with Sydney's, Heathrow and LAX. Most grouses are the long queues, navigation problems and lack of signages.

I am not saying that KLIA is a traveller's haven but it is certainly not the worst and that I could guaranteed. It is okay to compare airports but having KLIA bashed and singled out in praised of another airport isn't very tasteful. ;)

szehoong

April 23rd, 2004, 04:45 AM

I think you miss the point. The Changi airport cannot be listed as a normal hotel because it is IN TERMINAL ie. Inside the immigration area. This is exactly what makes it special.

.....you mean not many airports have an airside hotel? I always had the impression that most airport had that. :eek:

huaiwei

April 23rd, 2004, 09:10 AM

Oh well....if KLIA is that bad...it cant be fairing relatively well in international surveys right? :D

heirloom

April 23rd, 2004, 02:16 PM

the distance one has to walk in heathrow is disgusting. the routes are sometimes not too well lit and sometimes feel like intestines

huaiwei

April 23rd, 2004, 02:22 PM

the distance one has to walk in heathrow is disgusting. the routes are sometimes not too well lit and sometimes feel like intestines
WAAHAHA!!! Your analogy can be really comical sometimes!

You been there recently or what?

heirloom

April 23rd, 2004, 03:02 PM

um no lar in 2000. from what little i remember, the passages are sometimes dark and convoluted. not to mention long.

huaiwei

April 23rd, 2004, 03:35 PM

um no lar in 2000. from what little i remember, the passages are sometimes dark and convoluted. not to mention long.
I see.....well at least you have the chance to see how Changi fares with the rest of the world. All I can do is sit here and complain it is not good enough! :D

heirloom

April 23rd, 2004, 11:51 PM

well with the sudden explosion (a bit too big a word?) of budget airlines in singapore you'll be zipping all over the region in no time!

huaiwei

May 3rd, 2004, 09:37 PM

well with the sudden explosion (a bit too big a word?) of budget airlines in singapore you'll be zipping all over the region in no time!
Lets just hope so. Jakarta seems to be a rather cheap destination all of a sudden now! :D

babystan03

June 11th, 2004, 07:19 PM

well with the sudden explosion (a bit too big a word?) of budget airlines in singapore you'll be zipping all over the region in no time!

Let's hope it really "explode".....work wonders for the changi's traffic and the tourism sector......Looking towards more short and cheap trips......:D

huaiwei

June 12th, 2004, 02:19 AM

babystan03

June 12th, 2004, 04:09 AM

Talking about this "#1" thingy....I remember on my most recent trip to the airport, and I was aghast at the physical state of some parts of the older terminal buildings..esp the viewing gallery at Terminal 1. How in the world we still maintain #1 is beyond me sometimes! :D

That "terrible" state is to maintain Changi #1 position........haha.......Anyway, I think it's the T2 viewing mall that's "terrible" not T1.......:D

Taipei101

June 12th, 2004, 04:13 AM

Shouldn't Changi Terminal 1 be modernised?

babystan03

June 12th, 2004, 04:15 AM

Shouldn't Changi Terminal 1 be modernised?

It will be modernised next year.........:D

Leeigh

June 12th, 2004, 07:58 AM

KLIA is aweful compared to Changi??? dude..speak for yourself. Apparently you lack appreciation for generous space and unique architectural design....check out SKYTRACK survey, did you see Perth in there?? Changi is better than KLIA but not 'aweful' compared to Changi. Still top 5best airport in the world.

heirloom

June 12th, 2004, 08:01 AM

shouldn't t1 bemodernised before t2 because t1 is older and uglier... will the exterior be modernised too?

babystan03

June 12th, 2004, 12:32 PM

shouldn't t1 bemodernised before t2 because t1 is older and uglier... will the exterior be modernised too?

Haha....I think they modernise T2 first bcos it was used by SIA and bcos SIA is using A380 in 2006 so it makes more sense to upgrade T2 first.....:D The whole modernisation programme should be more or less done when T3 opens........

heirloom

June 12th, 2004, 12:57 PM

will sia move to t3?

Avatar

June 12th, 2004, 01:09 PM

babystan03

June 12th, 2004, 01:17 PM

will sia move to t3?

Of course it will, T3 is actually built with A380(SIA using it in 2006) in mind but that will be 2008....in the meanwhile, SIA still have to use T2.

huaiwei

June 12th, 2004, 03:16 PM

You are the funniest person on the forum... maybe you should take up comedy.
I dont find his words particularly funny, and in contrast, I find your words particularly provocative.

If you cannot appreciate the feelings of a warm homecoming felt by others who return home, then I suppose you are better off just leaving him alone?

RafflesCity

June 12th, 2004, 07:37 PM

That "terrible" state is to maintain Changi #1 position........haha.......Anyway, I think it's the T2 viewing mall that's "terrible" not T1.......:D

really? I find T2 viewing gallery more spacious with higher ceiling.

T1 viewing gallery has those dark tiles and a lower roof making it feel smaller.

babystan03

June 12th, 2004, 07:52 PM

really? I find T2 viewing gallery more spacious with higher ceiling.

T1 viewing gallery has those dark tiles and a lower roof making it feel smaller.

Haha....actually it was bcos of the renovation......they are renovating the T2 viewing mall now, so it seems "terrible" compared to T1 now......:D

RafflesCity

June 13th, 2004, 03:01 AM

Yup.."temporary"

I recall coming back in March and the terminal felt warmer as the a/c was undergoing renovation. Just cant wait till its finished! :yes:

huaiwei

June 13th, 2004, 02:46 PM

Hmm...I would say that in general, both terminals suck big time right now, especially for the areas which non-passengers go to. Thank god the passenger areas are still relatively in excellent shape! :D

RafflesCity

June 14th, 2004, 01:28 AM

no lah..T2 is still pretty acceptable me thinks.

The MRT station itself is quite futuristic. Visited it once back in December for fun :D

huaiwei

June 18th, 2004, 07:20 PM

Yeah....I will be waiting for T3 to be completed, and we will be able to use that nice underground bridge! :)

babystan03

June 27th, 2004, 07:30 AM

This bridge??? :D

http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN13931.jpg

huaiwei

June 27th, 2004, 07:54 PM

Yeah! Real cool...who would think there is an underground bridge in Changi? ;)

babystan03

June 27th, 2004, 08:35 PM

^
More people will know it once T3 opens........:D

huaiwei

July 10th, 2004, 06:48 PM

Anyway I wished they can just open the bridge for "sight-seeing" purposes even if it isnt entirely functional right now except leading us to a construction site. :D

babystan03

July 10th, 2004, 07:21 PM

Anyway I wished they can just open the bridge for "sight-seeing" purposes even if it isnt entirely functional right now except leading us to a construction site. :D

Haha....Maybe can "sight-see" the construction site also...... :naughty: :jk:

huaiwei

July 10th, 2004, 08:05 PM

Haha....Maybe can "sight-see" the construction site also...... :naughty: :jk:
Precisely loh. :D I have half a mind of crossing the barricades, but I fear getting thrown out and banned. :D

babystan03

July 10th, 2004, 08:13 PM

Precisely loh. :D I have half a mind of crossing the barricades, but I fear getting thrown out and banned. :D

Yah lor...come to think of it....quite "dangerous"......as can see from the NTUC building episode last time..... :wallbash:

Think I better stick to those "secret" location for the time being....... ;)

babystan03

July 17th, 2004, 06:59 PM

Haha....Maybe can "sight-see" the construction site also...... :naughty: :jk:

For now can only sight-see from outside this "box".......:lol:
http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN17251.jpg

Taipei101

July 18th, 2004, 11:27 AM

Pretty nice 'box'.

Taipei101

July 18th, 2004, 11:28 AM

Changi needs a new control tower, the current one, is that to scare unwanted tourists or something???

babystan03

July 18th, 2004, 11:40 AM

Changi needs a new control tower, the current one, is that to scare unwanted tourists or something???

I dun think so.....in fact the control tower at changi is an icon in its own right....... :)

Taipei101

July 18th, 2004, 11:41 AM

With a dimpled yellow coloured ball?

babystan03

July 18th, 2004, 11:51 AM

^
I think it's more a matter of preference.......:)

heirloom

July 18th, 2004, 01:53 PM

iit does have a rather iconic shape...

huaiwei

July 18th, 2004, 01:55 PM

With a dimpled yellow coloured ball?
If you look properly...it isnt dimpled....

babystan03

July 18th, 2004, 07:23 PM

The airport control tower.....

http://community.webshots.com/photo/48368795/48369604rypCoA

huaiwei

July 22nd, 2004, 06:13 PM

Very scary meh? :D

http://www.cpgcorp.com.sg/eng/projectshowcase/buildings/airports/images/terminal1_zoom.jpg

babystan03

July 22nd, 2004, 06:16 PM

^
So "scary", it screams for attention....... :runaway:

huaiwei

July 22nd, 2004, 10:15 PM

Haha yeah rite. Actually because the terminals themselves arent exactly architectural marvels, the control towel became the default icon of the airport! ;)

babystan03

September 12th, 2004, 05:32 PM

For now can only sight-see from outside this "box".......:lol:
http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN17251.jpg

There are some discussion about the T3 exit today.....this picture can provide some clues as to what we can expect......:yes:

huaiwei

September 13th, 2004, 07:48 AM

Erm...btw I just realised i hv quite a hilarious typo in my previous post. :D

babystan03

September 13th, 2004, 12:03 PM

Erm...btw I just realised i hv quite a hilarious typo in my previous post. :D

Where huh??...:D

heirloom

September 13th, 2004, 01:12 PM

towel ha

huaiwei

September 13th, 2004, 05:26 PM

The control towel....hahahah. :D

Anyway, the T3 exit is no diff from the one at T2 mah....wats up about it?

babystan03

September 13th, 2004, 05:34 PM

The control towel....hahahah. :D

Anyway, the T3 exit is no diff from the one at T2 mah....wats up about it?

:rofl:

They were saying that the fare gates were different at the T2 exit and the T3 exit when they first open the changi station.......:yes:

Now it's the same.......

huaiwei

September 13th, 2004, 05:54 PM

Hahaha...

Well anyway since I am going to turn this thread back into what it was for, ie, service quality in Changi, let me start quoting comments about this place from various sources, and let us analyse their comments! :D

Skytrax: Changi Airport by Rohit Joy

25 July 2002

Changi is an efficient airport and check-in and immigration processes are fast enough that passengers often only need to arrive at the airport an hour in advance (perhaps 1.5 hours for longer flights to the USA and Europe). It has an impressive selection of duty free and retail outlets as well as restaurants. The main problem I have with it is that each gate has its own separate holding area, where most of the seating is. Each holding area has its own security checkpoint and once a passenger enters a holding area, he can't leave to use the restroom, shop, or eat without going through security all over again. If a passenger is transiting through Singapore, he has to go through an additional security check, which I think is unnecessary since the passenger remains within the airport's controlled area. Because of this, I think Hong Kong is a much better airport for transit in the region and deserves Skytrax title of world's best airport.

Check out the last two sentences! :lol:

babystan03

September 13th, 2004, 05:58 PM

huaiwei

September 13th, 2004, 06:06 PM

Well, it just so happens that skytrax is i the process of coming up with a security rating of the airport, so we might see just how much of an effect these extra measures can do, at the cost of some inconvenience to travellors?

babystan03

September 13th, 2004, 06:07 PM

huaiwei

September 13th, 2004, 06:10 PM

Yeah...especially when we remember some folks here dont have the balls to sleep in a terminal like Tom Hanks! :lol:

babystan03

September 14th, 2004, 12:33 AM

Yeah...especially when we remember some folks here dont have the balls to sleep in a terminal like Tom Hanks! :lol:

Haha......maybe they dun like Tom Hanks leh?? :lol:

But then I think security in airport is a major thing now that the Jarkata incident has happened again........:yes:

Rapid

September 14th, 2004, 12:50 AM

Yeah...especially when we remember some folks here dont have the balls to sleep in a terminal like Tom Hanks! :lol:

Thats a true story, happened to a guy in France

He lost his passport in the plane and couldn't get out of the airport for 3 years.

Arunava

September 14th, 2004, 09:11 AM

^not quite... his papers were confiscated, and he's been living in the airport (CDG T1 I think) since 1988 I think. He was actually recently given a passport and all papers needed to enter France, but he prefers to stay in the airport now.

eyetoeye

September 14th, 2004, 09:51 AM

You are the funniest person on the forum.

I felt so hurt when i read this that i felt compelled to make a reply just to express it......... :jk:

eyetoeye

September 14th, 2004, 09:56 AM

babystan03

September 14th, 2004, 02:37 PM

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.

Medan01

September 14th, 2004, 06:24 PM

huaiwei

September 14th, 2004, 09:05 PM

I have been using Changi at least 30 times for the last 12 months and Hong Kong International at about 6 times. I know both airports very well. In terms of architecture design, the title should go to Hong Kong airport. Everything else should go to Changi.

Just can't get any better than Changi - It is comfortable even while it is doing its renovation which I notice has been a never ending activity in Changi.

Now that they upgrade the Silver Kris lounge again, I am just so excited. Hope they will come up to match the MAS lounge at KUL which is a great lounge with horrible washroom and toilet facilities (a pity for MAS). I know SIA and Changi can do better.
I could see that your views seems to be very well reflected in a huge number of travellors. Changi's architecture is definitely nothing to shout about, and that is probably something it will forever be forced to live with unless a huge rebuilding exercise is undertaken. :D

Hence, it all boils down to the software rather then the hardware I suppose. Interestingly, it has been noted that our western visitors, in particular, tend to notice the greenry and other hints of nature within the terminals!

babystan03

September 15th, 2004, 12:44 AM

RafflesCity

September 15th, 2004, 04:07 PM

^

Indeed, a post befitting the title of this thread :yes:

huaiwei

September 16th, 2004, 08:23 PM

^

Indeed, a post befitting the title of this thread :yes:
:D

Well, hope we dont rest on our laurels thou!

babystan03

September 17th, 2004, 12:39 AM

:D

Well, hope we dont rest on our laurels thou!

Judging by the millions they spent on renovations.....you can rest assure that they will continue to maintain that title.....:yes:

huaiwei

September 17th, 2004, 04:52 PM

Yeah, but note that the renovations are basically a hardware upgrade. What changi has always scored in...was software! ;)

So if you add the two together, will it take us to upcharted heights?

babystan03

September 17th, 2004, 04:57 PM

Yeah, but note that the renovations are basically a hardware upgrade. What changi has always scored in...was software! ;)

So if you add the two together, will it take us to upcharted heights?

The prospect seems positive.......:yes:

Of course they must not forget to innovate in terms of services......:yes:

Medan01

September 17th, 2004, 05:02 PM

I guess you guys can rest assured that Changi will not stop to innovate....It is the airport with the most free internet terminals inside the terminal building. Also the new shops that just keep opening.....always makes me wonder....2 weeks ago, I noticed there was now a foot and body massage place close to Gate 10 and 11 in T2.

I do hope one day the shops can open for 24 hours....

babystan03

September 17th, 2004, 05:21 PM

huaiwei

September 18th, 2004, 12:17 AM

There are some shops which operate 24 hours....I know even in the public areas, outlets like Coffee Bean and such are always open.

But there are usually no flights in the wee hours of the morning, which is why most shops close?

heirloom

September 18th, 2004, 05:01 AM

there are a few flights.. aren't there?

Medan01

September 18th, 2004, 03:29 PM

I think the latest (or earliest) SQ flight is at 1:45 and then there 2 more flights on other airlines. I know Coffee Bean is open 24 hours but that's it. The SQ lounge is also open 24 hours as well as a minimimally staffed food court. But other shops are close at around 1:00 am.

RafflesCity

September 18th, 2004, 05:50 PM

:D

Well, hope we dont rest on our laurels thou!

Oh definitely not..read recently that the airport will be spending even more than it did last year on staff training and teaching them to be more pro-active :yes:

David-80

September 18th, 2004, 06:05 PM

Their food court is open 24 hours, near the elevator in T2. When i passed the line near the elevator, i read the sign if food court is 24 hours open for business. :)

cheers

babystan03

September 19th, 2004, 06:44 AM

Oh definitely not..read recently that the airport will be spending even more than it did last year on staff training and teaching them to be more pro-active :yes:

Oh thats good.......the software is definitely one area that changi has to maintain and improve continuously to stay ahead.......

Btw, I went to Sakae Sushi at T2 lately and I notice the service has improved(the service was quite lousy when it first opened).....Seems like the restuarants at the airport is also hot on software improvements........:yes:

huaiwei

September 20th, 2004, 05:26 PM

Their food court is open 24 hours, near the elevator in T2. When i passed the line near the elevator, i read the sign if food court is 24 hours open for business. :)

cheers
Food court....the one selling over-priced local food, or the staff canteen hidden somewhere? :D

babystan03

September 21st, 2004, 12:35 AM

Food court....the one selling over-priced local food, or the staff canteen hidden somewhere? :D

Should be the over-priced one......since it's opened 24 hrs.......:yes:

When I saw the price of the food court a few weeks ago at T2, I went to a nearby restuarant(not too expensive one) instead......seems more worth it.....:lol:

huaiwei

September 22nd, 2004, 08:49 AM

Muahahah.

Is the staff canteen open 24 hours btw? Also, I think Starbucks is 24 hours too? Cant really remember.

babystan03

September 22nd, 2004, 12:40 PM

Muahahah.

Is the staff canteen open 24 hours btw? Also, I think Starbucks is 24 hours too? Cant really remember.

Starbucks should be 24 hours.......:yes: As for the staff canteen, I dun think it's 24 hours.......judging from this picture.....

http://img73.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ylstan03/Airport/DSCN13841.jpg

babystan03

September 24th, 2004, 05:22 PM

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.

huaiwei

September 25th, 2004, 03:19 PM

babystan03

September 25th, 2004, 03:27 PM

Cool! ;)

I wonder if we can keep up the trend of guzzling a huge number of awards year after year thou?

Highly possible if they continue to maintain the standards and innovate.....:yes:

With T1/T2 revamp, opening of T3 ,the budget terminal, more awards to come??? Maybe best budget airport?? :D

huaiwei

September 26th, 2004, 01:42 PM

Highly possible if they continue to maintain the standards and innovate.....:yes:

With T1/T2 revamp, opening of T3 ,the budget terminal, more awards to come??? Maybe best budget airport?? :D
I certainly hopes so man. The architecture of the airport seems to be one of our biggest weaknesses, expecially when so many new airports seems to be banking so much on "glass roofs" and the like? :D

babystan03

September 26th, 2004, 02:07 PM

I certainly hopes so man. The architecture of the airport seems to be one of our biggest weaknesses, expecially when so many new airports seems to be banking so much on "glass roofs" and the like? :D

Hopefully with all the revamp, the archi part will be improved......Glass roof and the likes?? Hmmm.....maybe next time we should try something new when T4 is built.......

babystan03

September 28th, 2004, 02:15 PM

A more detailed articles on the six awards.....

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.

huaiwei

September 30th, 2004, 04:19 PM

What kind of awars did Changi win last year...if anyone remembers? Seems like we loose some, we win some, and still end up with about the same number year after year! :D

babystan03

October 1st, 2004, 12:38 AM

What kind of awars did Changi win last year...if anyone remembers? Seems like we loose some, we win some, and still end up with about the same number year after year! :D

Whatever.......every year seems to be a bumper year in terms of the number of awards.......:lol:

I really like to know what kind of awards changi pick up in the 80s.......know where to find it??

huaiwei

October 3rd, 2004, 12:33 AM

Whatever.......every year seems to be a bumper year in terms of the number of awards.......:lol:

I really like to know what kind of awards changi pick up in the 80s.......know where to find it??
Wakaoz...whatever for? :D Best in providing free toilet rolls in the lavatories? ;)

babystan03

October 3rd, 2004, 02:59 AM

Wakaoz...whatever for? :D Best in providing free toilet rolls in the lavatories? ;)

To prove that this "pi sai" actually created something good that is also internationally recognised?? :lol:

babystan03

October 3rd, 2004, 09:06 AM

Wakaoz...whatever for? :D Best in providing free toilet rolls in the lavatories? ;)

Maybe best toilet cleaner??:lol: I notice they mop the floor very often......

huaiwei

October 3rd, 2004, 12:26 PM

Maybe best toilet cleaner??:lol: I notice they mop the floor very often......
Or too often? If I were to be a tourist, I would be wondering just wat are they doing mopping a perfectly clean floor!

babystan03

October 3rd, 2004, 12:45 PM

Or too often? If I were to be a tourist, I would be wondering just wat are they doing mopping a perfectly clean floor!

Maybe their supervisor are really strict with them.....hence they always make sure they make it spotless.......

But I always feel comfortable using the airport toilets....at least i know it won't be :puke:

huaiwei

October 6th, 2004, 11:50 PM

Well it will be marvellous if the toilet cleaners could even be part of the whole service quality idea....greeting travellors and even giving directions if need be? :D

babystan03

October 7th, 2004, 12:41 AM

Well it will be marvellous if the toilet cleaners could even be part of the whole service quality idea....greeting travellors and even giving directions if need be? :D

Wah....multi-tasking siah.......:lol: Maybe they're already doing it??? I saw a tourist asking the toilet cleaner question b4........

huaiwei

October 10th, 2004, 01:49 PM

Wah....multi-tasking siah.......:lol: Maybe they're already doing it??? I saw a tourist asking the toilet cleaner question b4........
Haha...yeah. I read somewhere on some folk who was sleeping overnight in the airport terminal, and the cleaning lady, instead of chasing her away, actually asked if she were feeling comfortable!

babystan03

October 10th, 2004, 02:20 PM

Haha...yeah. I read somewhere on some folk who was sleeping overnight in the airport terminal, and the cleaning lady, instead of chasing her away, actually asked if she were feeling comfortable!

Wah......that I didn't know......where did you read it??

huaiwei

October 12th, 2004, 03:19 PM

Wah......that I didn't know......where did you read it??
Remember there was this site all about which airports are best for sleeping in? :D

eyetoeye

October 12th, 2004, 04:51 PM

LOL. Which site is that? Sounds like fun. There should be more awards for unconventional stuff like:

-Airport with best toilets
-Airport with coolest air-conditioning
-Airport with softest carpet
-Airport with shiniest elevator doors
-Airport with most fountains
-Airport with highest ceiling

and the star of the show:

-Airport with most number of rubbish bins per unit area...

huaiwei

October 14th, 2004, 09:36 AM

eyetoeye

October 14th, 2004, 11:50 AM

Will do...

babystan03

October 15th, 2004, 12:37 AM

This site

http://www.sleepinginairports.net/

Check out the reviews. :D

Those reviews sound positive.........:yes:

Seems like most of them are transit passengers..........

huaiwei

October 16th, 2004, 01:02 PM

Those reviews sound positive.........:yes:

Seems like most of them are transit passengers..........
Haha....wat if they interview those students camping overnight in the terminals.....

Actually it is quite common for us geographers to actually study the use of airports termanls by students here!

babystan03

October 17th, 2004, 03:30 AM

Haha....wat if they interview those students camping overnight in the terminals.....

Actually it is quite common for us geographers to actually study the use of airports termanls by students here!

Oh.....that sound interesting.......I suppose going to the airport is fieldwork then??? ;)

huaiwei

October 19th, 2004, 12:07 AM

Oh.....that sound interesting.......I suppose going to the airport is fieldwork then??? ;)
Yeah man....I know of a group which went round interviewing users of the airport...hahaha.

babystan03

October 19th, 2004, 12:42 AM

Yeah man....I know of a group which went round interviewing users of the airport...hahaha.

Wah that sounds rather interesting.......I wonder if they take pictures of construction works (or parts of the airport) too?? :lol:

huaiwei

October 20th, 2004, 04:00 PM

More awards! :D

http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/mnt/static/image/images/topmastheadsmall.gif

October 20, 2004

Changi Airport's Sept passenger,cargo volumes up

.
.
.

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.

huaiwei

October 24th, 2004, 12:26 AM

At last count, Changi now has gathere 15 awards whereby she came in first or top of any category! :D

babystan03

October 30th, 2004, 07:37 AM

At last count, Changi now has gathere 15 awards whereby she came in first or top of any category! :D

I'm sure there will be more awards to come.......;)

huaiwei

November 9th, 2004, 02:53 PM

Actually if they bothered to list every single award...including those which are 2nd placed or lower, the list might turn out twice as long or more? :D

babystan03

November 11th, 2004, 11:01 AM

Actually if they bothered to list every single award...including those which are 2nd placed or lower, the list might turn out twice as long or more? :D

Maybe you can try to list that out when you're free?? :D

huaiwei

November 12th, 2004, 06:58 PM

Gonna start showing some reviews and comments from others. :D

http://www.asiatraveltips.com/SingaporeChangiAirport.shtml

Review of Singapore's International Airport - Changi

Singapore Airport has been voted by many different magazines and organisations for many consecutive years as the best airport in the world, and to be honest it is not surprising why. Singapore International Airport, or Changi as it is known, is somewhere you do not mind arriving an hour, two or even three before your time of departure. For once Changi offers you an airport that you can actually enjoy, and look forward to going to.

The planning behind Changi is exceptional by airport standards, nothing is really very far from anywhere, there are electric people carriers (walkways) scattered everywhere and in each direction. The shopping facilities are better than some shopping malls, the toilets clean, and accommodating, and many different food and beverage outlets ensure that you never go hungry. If there is one airport in the world where you do not mind being stranded for a few hours than Changi would be many peoples first option.

Changi is presently split into two terminals (1 and 2), with arrivals and departures on two separate levels, arrivals being the lower and departures the upper level. The terminals are connected by people carriers so you can walk between them if you so desired, this would take approximately 25 minutes, or you can use the miniature train service that runs from 6 am to midnight every day.

The real enjoyment of Changi comes after you have passed through immigration, before immigration however there are also numerous food and beverage outlets, such as Burger King, Delifrance, and a few restaurants serving Asian and International dishes. After immigration though you have an amazing assortment of Duty Free shops, high quality airport lounges, some food and beverage outlets from fast food to food court style cuisine, some nice pubs, and in Terminal two even some entertaining amusement style parks themed along Science and such.

Terminal 1 is the older of the two terminals, but still offers you almost identical 'activities' as the newer terminal 2. There are computer slots, where you can plug in your laptop and connect to the internet using your own account free of charge for as long as you like. Two book shops with an excellent assortment of books, four electronic shops selling everything from televisions, digital cameras to your basic battery, jewellery shops, watch shops, a post office, a silver shop, exchange counters, and of course the standard perfume, alcohol and tobacco shops, and even a small supermarket. This may surprise many people but the Duty Free prices for tobacco are one of the cheapest in the world here, for example a carton of 400 Dunhill International Reds will cost you roughly 29 Singapore Dollars which is just over 10 pounds sterling, compared to 13 pounds sterling at London Heathrow for only 200 !! The alcohol is also very well priced, especially compared to other Asian airports, so make sure that you check your Duty Free allowance of the country that you are travelling to and make the most of it. You cannot buy cigarettes on the way into Singapore though, only on the way out, in fact it is officially illegal to bring cigarettes into Singapore that were bought anywhere. If caught you may well be fined.

The airport lounges at Terminal 1 are all on the second level, and are all of pretty good quality. For smokers though there is only one place to puff away (by law) and believe me the Singapore airport police do not fall for the 'Oh I didn't know sir' routine so don't even risk it. The smoking rooms are both internal and external, allowing you to breathe in airplane fuel, instead of just nicotine. There is only one smoking room, although it is very large in each terminal, and they are situated pretty much straight in the middle and against the airport side wall. As mentioned you can sit and smoke outside and inside, but there is always pretty much enough room, either way. One tip about the Thai Airways lounge, if you have difficulties connecting to the internet while you are in the lounge, and the computer says that you do not have a dial tone, then just before you click the 'connect' button on your computer lift up the telephone handset, and put it on the desk. This should work.

Terminal one also offers viewing screens throughout the terminal with many televisions set up to different channels such as HBO, BBC, CNN, Discovery, the choice is yours.

Terminal 2 as mentioned, is of very similar design and offers you all of the above. The lounges are again on the second level, but you can smoke in Singapore Airlines lounge as they have a small smoking section.

If you are arriving at Singapore Airport, the procedure is the same as at any other airport, immigration, baggage claim and customs. The only major difference from most airports and something that I personally believe to be a big mistake is that when you arrive at the baggage reclaim/customs area the screens between you and the waiting crowds of friends and relatives, waiting to greet the incoming are transparent. This means that you can see your friends and loved ones, as you wait for the baggage so the excitement of turning the corner and seeing them is all but lost as you tend to get all excited waving and smiling, and then 10 minutes later when your baggage still has not come out, the smiling and waving is a lot less enthusiastic. It also means that if customs do want to search your bags then they do it pretty much in front of the awaiting crowd ! Make sure you pack clean underwear !

Once you are through, you have the choice of buses, taxis, and private limousines. Taxis are very regular, and well organised. The taxi queue at terminal one however has TWO ends to it, well in actual fact there are two queues that face each other. It is often worth remembering this, as more often than not one queue will be very busy, and the other relatively quiet, it is always worth checking which of the queues is the longest, before standing in line. A taxi from the airport will charge you a 3$ surcharge, and if you take the taxi between midnight and 6 in the morning there will be the 3$ plus a 50% surcharge on the fare. Taxis also charge extra for peak hours, CBD, and ERP, but all these charges are outlined on an official form in the taxi that explains the charges.

Quick Guide to most of the major services :

Business Centre : Located in the transit hotels of Terminals 1 and 2. The centre is open daily from 7 am to 11 pm and offers workstations with Internet access, photocopiers, fax, telex, facilities and meeting rooms. Secretarial and language services are also available upon request.

Cactus Garden : Level 3 of terminal one departure /transit lounge this unique garden houses 20 varieties of cacti native to North and South America.

Electronic Luggage Lockers : Are available in both Terminals 1 and 2.

Fitness Centre : Located in the transit hotel in Terminal 1, the gym offers you use of gym and exercise equipment, for Sin $ 10. A shower is included in the price with towel, shower gel and shampoo, are provided.

Free Singapore Tour : If you have five hours to spare between connecting flights, you can register for the free 2 hour Singapore tour, which will take you around the river area, and includes a 20 minute bumboat ride. Available from 10am to 7pm with the last booking available at 6:30pm. Seats are limited.

Hairdressing Salons : Located in the transit hotels, the unisex salons are open from 11am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sundays in Terminal 1 and from 11am to 9pm Monday to Saturday in Terminal 2.

Lost and Found : If you have lost something at the airport and not on an airline please call Singapore (1800 toll free within Singapore) 6542 9792.

Medical Services : These centres can be found in both Terminals, and are open from 8am to 12 midnight. The centre in Terminal 2 located at the basement is open 24 hours.

Shower and Sauna : Hot showers are available for only Sin $ 5.15 or you may wish to enjoy a steamy sauna. The sauna which includes shower is Sin $ 10.30.

Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi : Open from 7am to 11pm daily the shower and jacuzzi can be found in Terminal 1. Sin $ 10.30.

babystan03

November 13th, 2004, 09:12 AM

huaiwei

November 13th, 2004, 09:14 AM

Notice every single review of Changi will keep saying its an airport ppl dont mind being stuck in? :D

babystan03

November 18th, 2004, 02:21 PM

Notice every single review of Changi will keep saying its an airport ppl dont mind being stuck in? :D

I think maybe thats why they call it a destination in itself....:yes:...something that's so commonly used nowadays.........:no:

huaiwei

November 21st, 2004, 07:24 AM

See a whole bunch of reviews here by mainly British travellers. :D

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Singapore_Chang_SIN__94807/TabId/2

babystan03

November 23rd, 2004, 03:24 AM

See a whole bunch of reviews here by mainly British travellers. :D

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Singapore_Chang_SIN__94807/TabId/2

I notice most British travellers seem to like Changi, I wondering if it had anything to do with the "suckiness"(since so many say that) at Heathrow??

huaiwei

November 23rd, 2004, 06:41 AM

I notice most British travellers seem to like Changi, I wondering if it had anything to do with the "suckiness"(since so many say that) at Heathrow??
Hahaha...duno leh. But remember they voted us as best tourist destination recently too? :D

babystan03

November 23rd, 2004, 07:28 AM

Hahaha...duno leh. But remember they voted us as best tourist destination recently too? :D

Haha.....maybe thats because everything feels so cheap for them.......:lol:

huaiwei

November 25th, 2004, 03:43 PM

Haha.....maybe thats because everything feels so cheap for them.......:lol:
Haha.....duno lah, but as I say, they even love the plants in the airport!

babystan03

November 30th, 2004, 01:38 PM

Business Times - 30 Nov 2004

Building up the S'pore aviation hub

Besides passenger and cargo traffic, an aviation hub needs core aerospace-related activities which S'pore has developed over the years. VEN SREENIVASAN reports

SINGAPORE'S growth has been closely linked to its ability to position itself as a strategic hub in this part of the world.

Its early development was tied to its success as a maritime hub. Later, it developed as a commercial hub, and by the 1970s, it was shaping up as a financial hub.

In the last two decades, it has also gradually emerged as an Asian aviation hub.

Singapore's Changi airport will be handling a record 31 million passengers this year, beating its previous high of 29 million two years ago before the Sars crisis.

And the proliferation of low-cost carriers and the expansion of their networks can only boost traveller numbers here. The three budget airlines operating out of Changi account for 5 per cent of its total flights. More are set to join the crowd.

Changi is doing just as impressively in cargo handling, with volume handled this year expected to hit a record 1.74 million tonnes, compared with 1.68 million tonnes in 2000.

But an aviation hub has to be more than just an efficient and busy airport. It has to be built upon a core of aerospace-related activities.

Over the years, the Republic has tried to position itself as a place where industry players meet and sew up deals.

The six-day Singapore Asian Aerospace 2004, which attracted over 750 exhibitors from 33 countries earlier this year, saw deals worth over US$3.5 billion being inked - the highest ever for the biennial event.

But what about an aerospace industry?

Though still modest by the standards of US or Europe, Singapore has more than 100 aerospace companies, employing 11,000 people. Its output last year was almost $4 billion.

Many of the players in the industry are home-grown.

One of the better known names is ST Aerospace, which accounts for about 45 per cent of its parent ST Engineering's revenue of almost $3 billion.

ST Aerospace is one of the most aggressive players in the US$38 billion a year global maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) market. It gets about 60 per cent of its revenue from its offshore centres in the UK and US, and counts names like Lufthansa, Federal Express, United Airways, Japan Airlines, Air Estonia, Ryannair, IcelandFlug, SouthWest, British Mediterranean, and Merpati as its clients.

Equally well-known, and bigger, is Singapore Airlines' (SIA) subsidiary, SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC).

The company has been enjoying a strong recovery in air traffic and improved demand for MRO services this year, and is expected to post a net profit of well over $180 million for the current financial year. Although SIA accounts for four-fifths of SIAEC's business, its volume of non-SIA MRO business has been growing strongly in the last 12 months.

Besides these 'big boys', numerous smaller players have carved out their niches within the local aerospace industry. Names like JEP Precision Engineering, Fong's Engineering & Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing Corp and ACP Metal Finishing may not get much air-time in the media, but they have established strong footholds in turnkey projects such as retrofitting, testing, component supply and manufacturing.

Some like A-Sonic Aersopace and TPA Strategic have been riding on the Singapore brand-name to set up operations in far-flung markets.

Over the last decade, mainboard-listed A-Sonic has built up a strong foothold in the supply of aircraft electronics and retrofit systems in China. More recently, the company has been busy diversifying into new activities in the aviation business.

It recently tied up with one of China's leading state-owned travel companies and a consumer credit firm to start a Guangdong-based low-cost carrier. It has also gone into the business of buying old aircraft, repairing and upgrading them, and then selling or leasing them to airlines.

In Australia, it is also involved - albeit indirectly - in an attempt to buy a stake in a Perth-based carrier, SkyWest.

Like A-Sonic, Sesdaq-listed TPA Strategic is also an established distributor of aircraft components. But TPA also provides aircraft MRO services in overseas markets like China and Korea. As a certified trading house for Airbus, it is now setting up an MRO facility in Dubai, where Emirates Airlines is buying 45 giant Airbus A340 aircraft.

Besides these domestic companies, Singapore is also the regional base for over a dozen global brand names.

According to the Economic Development Board, aerospace manufacturing activities accounted for 10 per cent of the Republic's aerospace industry output last year. These include engine components, landing gear, avionics systems, aircraft structural components, and helicopter transparencies.

Key multinational players with a long-standing presence here include Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation, Rolls-Royce and Eurocopter South East Asia.

And the list continues to grow.

Colorado-based Hamilton Sundstrand, whose clients include the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (Nasa), Boeing and Lockheed Martin, recently indicated that it could shift its operations to Singapore. The company's products are found in more than 90 per cent of the world's aircraft.

In short, Singapore's status as an aviation hub hinges on more than just traffic at Changi.

The Republic accounts for 6 per cent share of the global market for MRO activities, and 20 per cent of the pie in Asia.

While Singapore may not be in the same league as the US, Europe or even Brazil, which have home-grown aircraft makers and are major league aerospace players, it is one of the most comprehensive aerospace MRO hubs in Asia-Pacific.

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

babystan03

December 6th, 2004, 06:03 AM

^
Hmm.....seem like the hub concept was born ever since Singapore gained its independence........:yes:

huaiwei

December 13th, 2004, 10:15 AM

^
Hmm.....seem like the hub concept was born ever since Singapore gained its independence........:yes:
No choice lah.....small country mentality perhaps, and an early recognition that we dont have enough domestic market to fuel our global dreams? :D

babystan03

December 16th, 2004, 02:00 PM

No choice lah.....small country mentality perhaps, and an early recognition that we dont have enough domestic market to fuel our global dreams? :D

True lah......but then I think the early recognition do work for us......:yes:

Perhaps we need to find more engine of growth (such as the budget sector?)??

huaiwei

December 24th, 2004, 11:43 AM

A comment from skytrax:

Changi Airport by Peter Borschberg
13 December 2004

Changi is not a bad airport, but after living in Singapore for almost 14 years, I cannot say that I share the great enthusiasm that many travellers sense on their first or second arrival at the airport. My biggest complaint is check in time, irrespective of the airline that I fly with. Staff at the check-in counters are not very friendly, and on occasion have been positively rude. My biggest praise goes to immigration clearance and baggage retrieval.

-----------------

Is it just me, or do the name sound familiar?

huaiwei

January 3rd, 2005, 01:27 AM

Changi's lounges seems to suck real bad, no matter what airline? :D

BRITISH AIRWAYS /QANTAS
Lounge Review
Executive Club Lounge
Singapore Changi

3rd May 2004 - an independent review by Isaac Seidl

Qantas and British boast that this lounge is about to be upgraded. It is well and truly too late. In an airport such as Changi, lounges such as this compete with pay per use facilities and indeed public areas, so going to this lounge is sadly a waste of time.

On arrival during the peak evening period, there is invariably a queue to enter, then a long wait for toilets or showers. There is no internet access, and the lounge is usually overcrowded. On a recent visit we had to stand, holding our stale sandwiches and juices with not so much as a bar to rest them on.

QF/BA should apply their policy of not allowing guests when the lounge is full, then perhaps their premium frequent flyers would feel more rewarded.

babystan03

January 3rd, 2005, 10:46 AM

^
They should check out the new nexus or plaza premium lounge........:yes:

huaiwei

January 3rd, 2005, 02:08 PM

^
They should check out the new nexus or plaza premium lounge........:yes:
Huh...similai! :D

babystan03

January 3rd, 2005, 02:11 PM

Huh...similai! :D

This.....

New lounge- Nexus

http://onetarget.oneempower.com/caas/oct04/oct/nexus_image.gif

Look out for our new integrated lounge called - Nexus. As the name suggests, the contemporary lounge promises a connection of activities and services. Come Nov 2004, passengers in transit will get to enjoy a mix of food & beverage outlets that offer beer, coffee, sandwiches and sushi, be entertained by 24-hour cable tv entertainment from 42" and 50" plasma tvs and enjoy free internet access. There's even a kiddie's corner to keep the kids entertained while their parents relax.

Opening : mid Nov 2004
Location: Departure/transit lounge east, Terminal 1.

http://onetarget.oneempower.com/caas/aug04/updates/plaza_heading1.gif

http://onetarget.oneempower.com/caas/aug04/updates/plaza_image.gif

Plaza Premium Lounge is the first public access transit lounge open to all classes of travelers regardless of airlines, class of travel and airline membership in Singapore Changi Airport. The Lounge has recently relocated to larger, more conducive premises at the third level of the Departure / Transit Lounge in Terminal 2 with a floor area of approximately 7,000 square feet and a seating capacity for 100 people at any one time. Open 24 hours daily, the shower, massage, fitness lifestyle centre continues to be a very welcomed and much needed facility for all inbound transit or long haul passengers of airlines that operate from Terminal 2, Singapore Changi Airport.
After many long hours’ travel with movement constraint on board of a plane, nothing is more inviting than to come in to a clean, tranquil, cozy and spacious environment portraying a health conscious lifestyle concept. The Lounge underwent a refreshing facelift, which is reflected in the Straits Chinese and Zen combination concept which emphasizes efficient space usage to create an extremely soothing environment to alleviate tiredness and stress after a long flight.

Enveloped by an immediate feeling of contemporary elegance amidst the rusticity of natural elements such as wood, water, pebbles and an abundance of greenery, warm natural tones predominate the colour scheme of the interior décor and furnishings, bordering to richer, earthier tones. Strong emphasis is placed on the use of natural materials like woven cane, wood carvings, clear glass, stone ware, earthen ware and raw silk wall décor fabric in the presence of subtle warm lighting and natural light pouring through the floor to ceiling glass paneling which overlooks the adjacent outdoor sunflower garden. A gentle and relaxing music of the sounds of nature, forest and water permeates the tranquil atmosphere.

At the entrance of the lounge, one is immediately attracted to the row of high tech, latest full line of ergonomic exercise machines with workout options designed to fulfill your physical workout needs. One of the largest airport gyms in the world, this fitness facility comprises a hydraulic rower, treadmills, cross trainers, upright bike, strength and weight stations. The stretch yoga area comes equipped with mats and cushions, and fit balls are available for balance and stretching. The wall mounted plasma television displays a succession of yoga and fitness aerobics videos for the health conscious. A bank of mirrors on the inner wall leads to a changing room with a dedicated coat and luggage area. A session at the gym coupled with yoga before or after completes the entire body workout, to be followed subsequently by a hot pampering shower.

The shower facilities features twelve individual shower rooms with an attached dressing and dry area each. The shower rooms can be used by both male and female without gender segregation, which will eliminate waiting time and improve utilization. A luxuriously appointed common male and female dressing area comes equipped with wash basins and hair dryers.

Another highlight of the new Lounge is the foot reflexology pebble path leading to the massage and napping area, where simplicity makes a great design statement. Known to and practiced by the ancient Chinese, foot reflexology is a natural health approach where reflex zones or nerve endings in the feet are massaged or stimulated to normalize the function of the body’s internal organs.

From the foot reflexology path, we enter the massage area where six treatment rooms are available for head and shoulder massage and foot reflexology. The nail care facility which features normal and French manicure makes its debut as one of the new services of this Lounge.

Adjacent to the massage area is a private napping area with a dim, soothing interior where each napping suite comes with checkered wooden partitions installed for privacy and aesthetic appeal. Raised wooden platforms with tatami mats spell the comfort of a peaceful sanctuary, amidst the gentle permeating aroma of essential oils; creating a restful and calm atmosphere for complete relaxation. Vibrant and colourful Straits Chinese décor chests and trinket boxes lend a feeling of timeless charm and serenity.

As one enters the Lounge area, a water feature wall takes centre stage as the soothing sound of water skimming across slate and pebbles enhance the serenity and refined elegance of the entire design concept.

The self service buffet bar is amply stocked with wholesome salad and condiments, freshly prepared finger sandwiches, pastries, cookies and seasonal local and imported fruits. Hot and cold beverages are readily available beside the bar and buffet counters.

The library houses international newspapers and magazines, with Straits Chinese china and porcelain ware adorning the shelves. Internet and email access, as well as laptop computers points are available for travelers to keep in touch with family and friends during transit. Another new offering in this Lounge is the Office Services facility which provides facsimile, photocopy, courier, local and international calls services for busy business executives to catch up on work during transit.

The much touted Oxygen Therapy is made available at the bar counter where one can enjoy a whiff of pure oxygen while having a bite to eat or a refreshing drink in hand. Mobile oxygen is also available throughout the lounge area, so opt for some rejuvenating fresh air anywhere you may be in the lounge. The private Oxygen Aromatherapy room is another new service offering where you can enjoy total repose in a comfortable armchair with an elevated leg rest to enhance blood circulation, reduce fatigue and improved concentration while breathing in pure oxygen infused with lavender essential oils.

Overall, the aesthetically pleasing surroundings with soft, indirect lighting and soothing background music enhances the ambiance, smooth lines and contrasting ergonomic steel ceiling – giving one an open, spacious feel. Since the one-stop shower, massage, fitness lifestyle lounge began operations in early 2002, there has been a marked increase in patronage, especially amongst economy class travelers. Uniquely designed to provide the tranquility that will help you refresh yourself, or simply relax and unwind, the lounge not only caters to individual travelers; it is also ideal for groups up to 120 persons on transit.

Having obtained the ISO 9001:2000 certification in 2003, the Straits Chinese and Zen-themed integrated lounge facilities and services will be another worldwide and industry first, where transit time spent in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 transcends privilege and pleasure

SkylineTurbo

January 3rd, 2005, 02:53 PM

^ Now that is innovative and efficiant.

huaiwei

January 6th, 2005, 06:18 PM

Whoa....I have not seen those places before...the first one looks familiar thou. The window was recently added, correct?

RafflesCity

January 6th, 2005, 09:12 PM

muz be..part of the ceiling is glass :yes:

babystan03

January 8th, 2005, 09:23 AM

Crossing the 30 million mark for passenger traffic:

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/8640/dscn376413rh.jpg

A closer look at the pillar:

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/5331/dscn376311ys.jpg

huaiwei

January 10th, 2005, 11:05 AM

Weeeee!!! Nice round figure! ;) 2004 will go down in the history books then. When did we cross the 20 million figure, eh?

RafflesCity

January 11th, 2005, 12:52 AM

what is the actual total operating capacity of T1 + T2?

skynet126

January 11th, 2005, 06:42 AM

Hmm.....seem like the hub concept was born ever since Singapore gained its independence........

With Bangkok newest international airport open this year, and try to be a HUB in SE asia. As HK and Singapore international already is a HUB in SE asia. Man competition to be a HUB airport in SE asia is getting fiercer by the minutes. Heard that Vietnam try to built an airport called LongThanh international airport that wold be able to accomondate up to 100 million passengers, anyway everybody known that it not going happen in this decade :). However, competition to be an international airport HUB in SE asia is getting HOT. I think Bangkok newest international airport is a direct challenge to Singapore airport right now.

heirloom

January 11th, 2005, 10:38 AM

total operating capacity is 44 million i think.

babystan03

January 11th, 2005, 02:22 PM

total operating capacity is 44 million i think.

Growing to 46.7 million in 2006 & 66.7 million in 2008....:yes:

heirloom

January 11th, 2005, 02:32 PM

how come the pillars are so ugly?

babystan03

January 11th, 2005, 02:51 PM

how come the pillars are so ugly?

Thats why they renovate mah.......:yes:

huaiwei

January 12th, 2005, 08:14 PM

With Bangkok newest international airport open this year, and try to be a HUB in SE asia. As HK and Singapore international already is a HUB in SE asia. Man competition to be a HUB airport in SE asia is getting fiercer by the minutes. Heard that Vietnam try to built an airport called LongThanh international airport that wold be able to accomondate up to 100 million passengers, anyway everybody known that it not going happen in this decade :). However, competition to be an international airport HUB in SE asia is getting HOT. I think Bangkok newest international airport is a direct challenge to Singapore airport right now.
Hmm...when KLIA opened, they said they are going to be a direct challenge to both airports too. It didnt really happen so far?

Hub airports arent always determined by new airports. It takes more then the physical buildings. Bangkok is exploding in passenger numbers now, helped by LCCs, as well as a rapidly big local tourism industry, but it still has yet to serve as a major hubbing point for connective flights to other detinations in southeast Asia.

RafflesCity

January 13th, 2005, 04:25 PM

Growing to 46.7 million in 2006 & 66.7 million in 2008....:yes:

where did you get the 66.7 million figure from?

babystan03

January 13th, 2005, 11:38 PM

where did you get the 66.7 million figure from?

Passengers handling capacity (for 2008)
T1- 21 million
T2- 23 million
T3- 20 million
Budget Terminal- 2.7 million

Total- 66.7 million

huaiwei

January 14th, 2005, 05:03 PM

how come the pillars are so ugly?
You refering to which picture?

blizzardic

January 15th, 2005, 04:35 AM

Sounds great. Singapore is a really nice city

huaiwei

January 15th, 2005, 09:12 PM

Sounds great. Singapore is a really nice city
Why, thank you! :) Have you visited us before?

drwho

January 15th, 2005, 09:28 PM

hm a question,how does the A-380 dock at Changi look like?..:)

babystan03

January 19th, 2005, 01:59 PM

2005 Releases
19 Jan 2005

Singapore Changi Airport reaches record Passenger & Cargo Volumes in 2004
The airport handled 30.35 million passengers and 1.78 million tones of cargo for the full year

Singapore Changi Airport has broken its own record in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. A record of 30.35 million passengers passed through Changi Airport in 2004, a 23.1 per cent growth over year 2003's 24.67 million, and an increase of 4.7 per cent over the previous record of 29 million set in 2002.

In December 2004 alone, Changi Airport's passenger traffic jumped 9.4 per cent from a year ago to 2.96 million. This is a 7.5 per cent rise from December 2002.

In terms of air cargo, Changi Airport moved a new record of 1.78 million tonnes of cargo in 2004, 10.2 per cent more than the 1.61 million tonnes in 2003. This is 8.4 per cent more than 2002's air cargo tonnage. In December 2004, Changi Airport moved 153, 512 tonnes of air freight, a 8.5 per cent increase from December 2003, and a 12.9 per cent increase from December 2002.

Apart from a year of unprecedented growth, Changi Airport also received a total of 19 awards and accolades from international organizations and publications in 2004. Just a day ago, Changi Airport received two awards from Business Traveller (Germany) magazine. An overwhelming majority of over 3,000 respondents polled voted Changi Airport the 'Best Airport in the World' and the 'Best Airport in Asia Pacific'. Readers were asked to rank the airports in areas like ease of orientation, shopping, food & beverage facilities, efficiency in baggage delivery and security.

Congratulating Changi Airport on its win, the magazine's publisher, Ms Gerhild Burchardt, said, "Majority of our readers are frequent travellers who have visited many airports around the world. Changi Airport remains the best airport in their hearts for the last 12 twelve years. It surpasses their expectations of what an excellent airport should be, in almost all aspects. Changi clearly deserves the top honour."

In the recent Global Airport Satisfaction Index Study conducted by JD Power & Associates, Changi Airport received the highest overall passenger satisfaction score among the 89 airports included in the study.

Speaking to the audience at the airport today at a ceremony held to recognize and reward outstanding frontline airport staff, Minister for Transport, Mr Yeo Cheow Tong said, "To differentiate ourselves from our competitors, Changi must continue to enhance its people-centered skills and service. Over the years, this has become our distinguishing trademark."

Changi Airport is served by more than 70 airlines, which operate over 3,700 scheduled flights every week to 175 cities in 55 countries.

http://www.changi.airport.com.sg/changi/press_release_content.jsp?DYNAMIC_FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=9853823208128582&CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10135298184839468&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024632&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181068&bmUID=1106135507709

RafflesCity

January 19th, 2005, 07:08 PM

hm a question,how does the A-380 dock at Changi look like?..:)

woah..tough one..I have never seen a rendering with the A380s at Changi yet...:D

drwho

January 19th, 2005, 08:29 PM

woah..tough one..I have never seen a rendering with the A380s at Changi yet...:D

oh sorry raffie,not the A380..i mean the terminal where the A380 will dock at:):)

Rapid

January 19th, 2005, 11:44 PM

oh sorry raffie,not the A380..i mean the terminal where the A380 will dock at:):)

He means the gate only, I've always wondered that too. It should be already completed, since Singapore Airlines are the first to fly the super jumbo.

heirloom

January 20th, 2005, 01:49 AM

this picture
http://img46.exs.cx/img46/5331/dscn376311ys.jpg

it hasnt been renovated along iwth the complex

Harry Potter China

January 20th, 2005, 06:45 AM

Which airport in Asia handled the most number of passengers last year.

I'm guessing it was either: Beijing Capital, Bangkok Don Muang, or Hong Kong
Chek Lap Kok. :)

I belive Bankok's New Suvarnabhumi International Airport is the biggest

airport terminal in the world when it is completed. Its main hall is perhaps

twice as big as that of Pudong's. Its got 16 mega-columns (hate the Design

of the columns though). I tried to convince myself that Beijing Capital's T3

would probably be bigger but I doubt it. It is thinner. And the main pre-

departure area is not as big as Suvarnabhumi's.

By the way, can anyone tell me what the total land area of Berijing Capital

International Airport would be when its 1,480 hectare expansion is completed?

I heard that it would be 2,600 hectares but I want another source :)

babystan03

January 20th, 2005, 11:17 AM

Harry Potter China

January 20th, 2005, 02:29 PM

I just want to clarify from the forumers of this thread. Since I'm simply impressed by this thread. I guess I wanted to ask you guys because I wanted to hear from forumers who are closer to Thailand and China than any I propbably know. :)

huaiwei

January 21st, 2005, 03:22 AM

Hmm....ok....

If you want my personal view from here, I would consider Beijing Capital as the largest when built, simply by measuring the floor sizes. Cant remember which source I got it from too, but it was touted as bigger then any of the terminals in existance.

As for the busiest Asian airport last year, it should be Tokyo Haneda again?

huaiwei

January 23rd, 2005, 05:07 PM

Jan 20, 2005
She has a soft spot for stranded passengers

STRANDED in Singapore after a flight delay caused her to miss a connecting flight to Auckland, the distraught woman had nowhere to go, little money and no personal belongings except the clothes she wore.

To her rescue came Madam Tan Beng Luan, 50, the customer service agent who was manning the Lost and Found booth at Changi Airport Terminal 2.

The woman spoke little English, so Madam Tan used a mixture of Cantonese and Mandarin to soothe her tattered nerves. Unfortunately, the next available flight was the following day.

'She couldn't afford to put herself up in a transit hotel. I felt sorry for her, so I told her: 'If you don't mind, you can sleep at my place for the night,' ' said Madam Tan, who lives in Woodlands with her husband and two teenage sons.

Her family is by now so used to her soft spot for stranded passengers that they no longer blink when she turns up with foreign strangers.

But she did catch the eye of her employers.

At the annual airport reception yesterday, Madam Tan was named Changi Airport's 'Service Personality of the Year' for 2004 - the highest service accolade awarded to outstanding front-line airport staff.

Another 17 staff received awards for being 'Outstanding Service Providers', while two groups were given 'Outstanding Service Team' awards.

Minister for Transport Yeo Cheow Tong said the winners epitomised the kind of service standards Changi Airport needed to stay ahead of the competition.

Although last year the airport set two new records for itself - 30.35 million passengers and 1.78 million tonnes in freight - and received an unprecedented 19 awards and accolades from international organisations and publications, Mr Yeo said there were still challenges ahead.

Air traffic, forecast to grow about 4 to 5 per cent per annum over the next 10 years, 'will undoubtedly put much pressure on our handling capacity... and speedy efficiency', said Mr Yeo.

But while increased traffic could lead to 'inevitable pressure to reduce costs, which in turn may lead to more outsourcing', he stressed that the airport must not cut corners on service.

'Over the years, this has become our distinguishing trademark,' he added.

Mr Yeo added that Singapore Airlines (SIA) too had worked hard to improve its services in the face of growing competition from low-cost carriers.

The national carrier set world records last year by launching two of the longest non-stop flights in commercial aviation history, from Changi Airport to Los Angeles and New York.

SIA also added 15 new city links and introduced new services like enhanced in-flight entertainment and SMS check-in alerts.

And next year, SIA would be the first airline to operate commercial passenger flights using the new Airbus A380 superjumbo, which it is hoping to use on the Sydney-Los Angeles route.

When asked by reporters about the possibility of an open-skies deal with Australia that would allow SIA access to the Australia-US route, Mr Yeo replied: 'We'd be happy to give the Australian government anything they want to have full open skies. If it is full open skies, it means we give them everything, they can fly from Singapore to any destination in the world.

'And similarly our airline can fly from Australia to anywhere in the world. So full open skies means there is no limitation at all.

'I see a broad highway in the sky.'

huaiwei

March 27th, 2005, 08:54 AM

I have noticed the differing comments in skytrax based on the names of the writers....able to pick out what is it? :D

Changi Airport by Harry Tsui

22 March 2005

I have been using the Changi Airport 6 times in the last few months. It was all between the Hong Kong CLK Airport and Changi. The most important concern for me is how fast to get in and out the airport, taking all the accounts of the immigration, baggage check and transportation. Changi tops CLK in this aspect. (Except the airport train which stops at 11:18PM!) However, there is one thing that makes the two airports ways apart, that is the attitude of the people there. I felt extremely uneasy with the tough and rude attitude of some people I have encountered at Changi.

Changi Airport by LY Chin

7 February 2005

Other than having nice shops and being an efficient airport, there's nothing more to shout about SIN. Frankly speaking, this is an airport that renders two different level of services. Yes, all the staffs in this airport will wear a warm smile - only if you're a foreigner and specifically white / caucasian. If you're a local or bearing an asian look - you can forget about courtesy - you do not even get a simple friendly gesture of hi and bye!! Of the many times I've gone through this airport I've yet to encounter a "friendly" immigration officer let alone getting a welcome smile from them !

Changi Airport by Mark McFerran

4 February 2005

Changi Airport has been a most pleasant experience. We had a 10 hour stopover, we took the FREE bus tour to Sentosa, visited the Plaza lounge (the most relaxing lounge I've ever been in - it's pay per use) had a swim in the roof top swimming pool and my partner loved the shops. There is FREE internet all around the airport, a FREE cinema and an outdoor viewing area. Even the immigration officers smiled and made you feel welcome.

Changi Airport by Elwyn Mallari

15 February 2005

My wife and I had about an 8-hour stop-over in Singapore on Jan. 15th. We stayed in the Premier Lounge on the second floor of the terminal. They moved the place since the last time I was at Singapore's Changi Airport two years ago. The new place is larger. The seats are very comfortable. The shower rooms are very clean, but they should have separate sections for male and female passengers. There is free food and drinks, and several computers are connected to the internet for free use. I highly recommend this place for anyone who has a 4 or more hours of lay-over in Singapore.

But here is one which seems to balance things out. Ironically, I suspect the writer is my professor. :D

Changi Airport by Peter Borschberg

13 December 2004

Changi is not a bad airport, but after living in Singapore for almost 14 years, I cannot say that I share the great enthusiasm that many travellers sense on their first or second arrival at the airport. My biggest complaint is check in time, irrespective of the airline that I fly with. Staff at the check-in counters are not very friendly, and on occasion have been positively rude. My biggest praise goes to immigration clearance and baggage retrieval.

babystan03

March 27th, 2005, 08:57 AM

^
Emm....those(seems like they are Singaporeans or PRs) who used Changi many times take it for granted?? :D

Foreigners tend to appreciate it more?? :eek:

huaiwei

March 27th, 2005, 08:59 AM

Haha...sounds more like Asians and locals arent receiving the tip top service Changi is supposed to offer! :D

babystan03

April 2nd, 2005, 03:44 PM

30 Mar 2005
Swedish Travellers give Changi Airport the Thumbs Up

Third award for Changi since start of the year

Business travellers have voted Singapore Changi Airport the 'Best International Airport' in the world, in a survey conducted by Swedish business travel magazine, Affärsresenären. The magazine asked respondents in Sweden to name and grade an airport they thought was the best.

This is the first time Affärsresenären introduced an airport category in the survey, which has been running for seven years. Changi was ranked ahead of Denmark's Copenhagen and Netherland's Amsterdam airports. The award was presented at a ceremony held in conjunction with a travel trade fair in Gothenburg, Sweden on 18 March 2005.

Changi Airport received two other awards in February 2005. Buying Business Travel magazine gave Changi the 'Best Worldwide Airport' award in an inaugural reader survey among business travel decision-makers and company purchasers in the UK.

Readers of another UK-based publication, Wanderlust, also voted Changi the top Worldwide Airport award for the fourth consecutive time.

http://www.changi.airport.com.sg/changi/news_flash_list.jsp?ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181062&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023688&CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673226698&bmUID=1112448909204

drwho

April 2nd, 2005, 05:37 PM

heirloom

April 2nd, 2005, 08:39 PM

huh... i didnt know thai airways was any good.

redstone

April 2nd, 2005, 08:43 PM

Hmm.. I didn't notice this thread! :D

drwho

April 2nd, 2005, 08:49 PM

Hmm.. I didn't notice this thread! :D

what?..where have you been redstone?:)

redstone

April 2nd, 2005, 08:55 PM

Erm, Singapore forums? :D

Ever since Search is gone..............

huaiwei

April 2nd, 2005, 10:33 PM

Haha...not that difficult to find Singapore stuff in this section lah. Just remember there are ten mega threads on Singapore here...sorting by page views or number of posts may help. :D

kiku99

April 2nd, 2005, 10:50 PM

huaiwei

April 3rd, 2005, 12:34 AM

Hm...but idnt the new Beijing terminal even bigger?

babystan03

May 7th, 2005, 06:56 AM

Latest award: The Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards 2005....:D

Best Airport

Asia

* Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong
* Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia
* Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore

huaiwei

May 10th, 2005, 11:41 AM

Is this the first award for the year 2005?

babystan03

May 10th, 2005, 11:52 AM

Is this the first award for the year 2005?

Nope.......I think got another 3 more........:D

huaiwei

May 12th, 2005, 12:22 AM

4 awards so far this year? Great. Wonder if there will be anymore for last year, coz they still have only 15? :D

soulkorea

May 12th, 2005, 06:10 AM

my personal favorite airport!!!
viva Changi International Airport!

babystan03

May 12th, 2005, 10:12 AM

4 awards so far this year? Great. Wonder if there will be anymore for last year, coz they still have only 15? :D

Actually they have 19 I think......don't know why they never update the website......:yes:

2005 Releases
19 Jan 2005

Singapore Changi Airport reaches record Passenger & Cargo Volumes in 2004

The airport handled 30.35 million passengers and 1.78 million tones of cargo for the full year

Singapore Changi Airport has broken its own record in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. A record of 30.35 million passengers passed through Changi Airport in 2004, a 23.1 per cent growth over year 2003's 24.67 million, and an increase of 4.7 per cent over the previous record of 29 million set in 2002.

In December 2004 alone, Changi Airport's passenger traffic jumped 9.4 per cent from a year ago to 2.96 million. This is a 7.5 per cent rise from December 2002.

In terms of air cargo, Changi Airport moved a new record of 1.78 million tonnes of cargo in 2004, 10.2 per cent more than the 1.61 million tonnes in 2003. This is 8.4 per cent more than 2002's air cargo tonnage. In December 2004, Changi Airport moved 153, 512 tonnes of air freight, a 8.5 per cent increase from December 2003, and a 12.9 per cent increase from December 2002.

Apart from a year of unprecedented growth, Changi Airport also received a total of 19 awards and accolades from international organizations and publications in 2004. Just a day ago, Changi Airport received two awards from Business Traveller (Germany) magazine. An overwhelming majority of over 3,000 respondents polled voted Changi Airport the 'Best Airport in the World' and the 'Best Airport in Asia Pacific'. Readers were asked to rank the airports in areas like ease of orientation, shopping, food & beverage facilities, efficiency in baggage delivery and security.

Congratulating Changi Airport on its win, the magazine's publisher, Ms Gerhild Burchardt, said, "Majority of our readers are frequent travellers who have visited many airports around the world. Changi Airport remains the best airport in their hearts for the last 12 twelve years. It surpasses their expectations of what an excellent airport should be, in almost all aspects. Changi clearly deserves the top honour."

In the recent Global Airport Satisfaction Index Study conducted by JD Power & Associates, Changi Airport received the highest overall passenger satisfaction score among the 89 airports included in the study.

Speaking to the audience at the airport today at a ceremony held to recognize and reward outstanding frontline airport staff, Minister for Transport, Mr Yeo Cheow Tong said, "To differentiate ourselves from our competitors, Changi must continue to enhance its people-centered skills and service. Over the years, this has become our distinguishing trademark."

Changi Airport is served by more than 70 airlines, which operate over 3,700 scheduled flights every week to 175 cities in 55 countries.

http://www.changi.airport.com.sg/changi/press_release_content.jsp?DYNAMIC_FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=9853823208128582&CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10135298184839468&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024632&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181068&bmUID=1115881947695

huaiwei

May 12th, 2005, 06:35 PM

Woah! :eek: Thanks for the affirmation! Wonderful to know the 20 annual average is still maintained. :D

babystan03

May 22nd, 2005, 04:56 PM

Number of awards for Changi to date: 6.....:D

http://www.changi.airport.com.sg/changi/level3.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024647&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181062&bmUID=1116769687235

babystan03

May 30th, 2005, 02:29 PM

30 May 2005

Changi Airport wins prestigious IATA award for the fourth time

Changi Airport has won the prestigious International Air Transport Association's Eagle Award for the fourth time running since 2001.

The award was presented to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, which manages and operates the airport, at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Tokyo on Monday.

The IATA Eagle Awards are given to leading airport operators and air navigation service providers which are committed to value for money service by taking positive steps to control infrastructure costs and related charges.

The CAAS was commended for its support for the business operations of its airline partners at Changi Airport.

One of the areas the selection panel noted was its regular consultations with IATA and airlines/users operating at Changi Airport.

Views were sought on issues ranging from operations, airport planning and development to aeronautical fee revisions.

As of May 12th, Changi Airport has a record number of 80 airlines operating more than 3,900 weekly scheduled flights to some 175 cities across 55 countries. - CNA /ch

Copyright © 2005 MCN International Pte Ltd

babystan03

May 31st, 2005, 01:35 PM

A more detailed report.....:yes:

Business Times - 31 May 2005

Changi Airport wins Iata accolade

It's among 3 given award for policies supporting industry

By VEN SREENIVASAN

(SINGAPORE) The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has commended Singapore's Changi Airport, Brisbane Airport Corporation and AirServices Australia for their policies in support of the airline industry.

Iata yesterday presented the two airports and the air-navigation services specialist with its Eagle Award at its 61st Annual General Meeting and World Air Summit in Tokyo.

'Air transport is quickly changing to a low-cost industry,' said Iata director-general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani.

'Value for money, the spirit of continuous improvement and dedication to customer satisfaction are critical throughout the value chain. AirServices Australia, Singapore's Changi Airport and Brisbane Airport Corporation were the industry's best examples of this in 2004.'

The Iata Eagle Awards are given to airport operators and airline partners that support value-for-money service by taking steps to control costs and charges.

A key element on which winners are judged is their willingness to consult Iata, airlines and airport users.

The awards panel also looks at issues ranging from operations, airport planning and development to aeronautical fee revisions.

Mr Bisignani said: 'Changi and Brisbane operate in different environments with different business models, but both demonstrate the spirit of partnership our industry needs.'

This is the fourth time Changi has clinched the award. It won it previously in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

The director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Wong Woon Liong, said Changi will continue its pro-business policies. 'We will strengthen our partnership with the airlines with further quality and value for money services for the airlines,' he said.

Changi hosts 80 airlines operating more than 3,900 weekly scheduled flights to 175 cities across 55 countries. The airport handled almost 30 million passenger last year.

Brisbane is a much smaller, privatised airport. But it has achieved strong growth in a deregulated environment by consulting users, satisfying customers and controlling charges.

Air navigation services provider AirServices Australia recently tied up a five-year pricing agreement with Iata and airlines.

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.