Singapore Changi International Airport

[RafflesCity]

Nice pictures nazrey!
These were found by huaiwei:

Taken 2001 Shows the existing airport, with the reclaimed land for expansion at the bottom left. (with my annotations)


Taken 2002 The northern tip of the new runway can be seen.


Taken 2002 The new runway can be clearly seen, with taxiways to be built next.

[RafflesCity]

Airport was used by more travellers last month than in November last year - the first year-on-year increase since March

12 Dec 2003

By Karamjit Kaur And Goh Chin Lian

AFTER eight months of turmoil caused by the Sars outbreak, it's clear skies again for airlines, the latest figures from Changi Airport show.

More passengers used the airport last month than in November a year ago. This is the first year-on-year increase since March this year, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

Last month, Changi handled 2.4 million passengers, 2.3 per cent more than in November last year.

At the height of the Sars scare, the comparable numbers for April and May were down by nearly half.

No wonder CAAS director-general of civil aviation Wong Woon Liong was all smiles when he welcomed Qatar Airways on its first landing at Changi yesterday at 11am.

The CAAS said in a statement: 'The arrival of Qatar Airways marks a double joy for Changi Airport as we also celebrate an increase in our passenger traffic for November, the first year-on-year increase since Sars hit.'

The Sars scare all but emptied many flights, causing Asian carriers to lose more than $2.5 billion and forcing Singapore Airlines to axe more than a third of its flights.

With the arrival of Qatar Airways, Changi's fifth new customer this year, the airport now services 68 airlines and is linked to 150 cities in 51 countries. The other four are Xiamen Airlines, Air Hong Kong, Riau Airlines and Lion Air.

The addition of a new airline and a new link is significant, said the CAAS' Mr Wong, as it 'reinforces Singapore's position as an aviation hub in the region'.

In April, before the full impact of Sars hit, 64 airlines used Changi and connected Singapore to 134 cities. By June, the number had fallen to 56 carriers and 122 cities.

Qatar Airways will fly three times a week between Doha and Singapore.

Changi Airport handled just over 3,200 flights per week last month. It has some catching up to do. The week before Sars hit Singapore, there were 3,400 flights.

Since the CAAS earns its living mostly from food and beverage outlets - about 60 per cent of its revenue - the number of passengers handled is more significant.

Outside the airport, cash registers at restaurants, shops and hotels have also been ringing in the past months.

Since September, restaurants have seen more tourists, mainly from China, Indonesia and Japan, said Restaurant Association of Singapore president Lee Tong Soon.

Hotel Phoenix is 95 per cent full, the best this year, said general manager Noel Hawkes. 'We were chock-a-block with Indonesians during the Hari Raya period and there are a lot of corporate meetings.'

April was the lowest point, when occupancy plunged to 23 per cent.

The outlook for next year is positive, with three major events - Asian Aerospace 2004 in February, Food&HotelAsia 2004 in April and CommunicAsia2004 in June - expected to bring in about 55,000 business travellers.

Said Mr Hawkes: 'People are travelling again - barring any unforeseen circumstances, we'll have to say.'

[Cliff]

[huaiwei]

Originally posted by EyeToEye

I'm so excited cos' i'll be one one of those planes looking out the window at the world below tomorrow! I'll take lots of pics, k?

Hm...and where do you happen to be going to?

[huaiwei]

The picture dosent seem to work.......

[nazrey]

by Kazuo Lim Khee Boon

[RafflesCity]

SINGAPORE : Most Singaporean travellers just zip in and out of Changi Airport.

But if travellers have a few hours to spare, they can find several hidden corners that will entertain you in the transit area.

Imagine a swimming pool right smack in the heart of Changi.

While many may not realise it, that is exactly what one can find in Terminal 1, tucked away just above the Skytrain station.

And while the upgrading for this terminal has not really taken off yet, it has already received a $800,000 Rainforest Lounge that opened officially about two months ago - with jacuzzis and rest beds.

Meanwhile, over at Terminal 2, additions have been made to existing features like a cinema that screens the latest blockbusters.

And there is also a year-old sunflower garden that has become a favourite with many travellers wanting to get out into the open.

And what is a Singapore airport experience without that one staple - shopping.

Airport authorities say that a substantial portion of the $240 million earmarked for Terminal 2's upgrading will go towards allocating more shop space.

This is something they say passengers asked for.

"The facilities are clean, the shopping is quite cheap I only bought cosmetics and it is cheap," said one shopper.

"It's great! Many shops, many lounges, more cafes we can take more time. It's really convenient here compared to the other airports," said another.

[perthguy78]

cool,
i will be there at the end of the month..
just came through klia and i must say i hate it,,,, sucks compared to singapore and HK

[Trances]

Good if your in transit for a few hours

[huaiwei]

Originally posted by Trances

Good if your in transit for a few hours

Unlike me, who cant seem to get a chance to exprience any of those since I got through the airport too fast??

[huaiwei]

Well. It is good, then that the upgrading works are on-going. They may not be the same as creating a new airport, but if no one have major problems with the traffic flow and so on, then why the need to rebuild everyting?

[RafflesCity]

I was passing there this evening and saw that the new glass facade of the new wing of T2 is completed, and also they have completed the first arch for the new facade. (The upgrading works involve designing arches for the facade of the Departure Hall)

[heirloom]

a new pillar at t2's customs i think... 09/04/04

[huaiwei]

Geez....is this a retrofitted pillar or a new fake pillar??

[heirloom]

maybe just a pillar with new cladding?

[huaiwei]

Originally Posted by heirloom

maybe just a pillar with new cladding?

Ok....that would be more acceptable....I wont want to see them adding fake pillars and reducing the airy feel of the place!

[huaiwei]

APRIL 15, 2004 THU
Good news for Changi as flights increase

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

By Karamjit Kaur

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[huaiwei]

Emirates to build offices, passenger lounge at Changi

DUBAI-BASED Emirates Airline is spending more than $1 million to build a posh new passenger lounge and two new offices at Changi Airport, plus a city office, which shows its long-term confidence in and commitment to Singapore.

The investment is significant and comes more than three months after Emirates started flying non-stop between Dubai and Sydney, bypassing Singapore. In June, it will start direct flights for its Melbourne route as well.

When Emirates started the non-stop Dubai-Sydney service, experts suggested it would hurt Changi Airport in its competition with other regional airports - with Dubai and Bangkok, two of the biggest contenders - to grow its air hub status. But Emirates' area manager for Singapore and Brunei, Mr Stephen Chu, emphasised that the non-stop services do not signal a scaling-down of its operations here.

Speaking to The Straits Times before the official opening of the new city office at Parkview Square in North Bridge Road yesterday, he said that Emirates continues to operate 36 flights a week out of Changi, the same as before the non-stop run to Sydney. 'Out of Dubai, Emirates flies more often to Changi than any other airport in the region,' he said.

Singapore is likely to be a stopover when Emirates starts flying the new jumbo Airbus 380 aircraft in 2006, he said. 'We're still studying the routes but one service being considered is Dubai-Singapore-New Zealand-US-Dubai.' Hong Kong is also being considered.

Mr Chu added: 'As long as Singapore keeps attracting people, we will keep flying here.'

[huaiwei]

SPEECH BY MR YEO CHEOW TONG MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY OF THE EMIRATES AIRLINE OFFICE THURSDAY, 8 APRIL, 7.15 PM, PARKVIEW SQUARE

Mr Asim Mirza Alrahmah, Chargé d’Affaires, UAE Embassy

Mr Richard Vaughan, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, East-Asia & Australasia,

Mr Stephen Chu, Area Manager, Singapore and Brunei,

I am delighted to be here today for the official opening ceremony of Emirates Airline’s new office at Parkview Square.

Open Skies Agreement Between Singapore and the United Arab Emirates

Less than two months ago, the United Arab Emirates Minister of Communications, His Excellency Ahamed Bin Humaid Al-Tayer, and I signed the Open Skies Agreement between Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. It was a significant agreement, and a testament to the positive ties that exist between Singapore and the UAE.

Emirates Airline, the leading airline in the UAE, has made good use of the liberal air services agreement between our two countries. Emirates had humble beginnings. It started operations in 1985 with two leased aircraft. Today, just short of its 20th birthday, it has become one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, with a network that serves more than 70 destinations in over 50 countries.

Emirates’ Growth and Expansion at Changi

In tandem with its global expansion, Emirates has also grown its operations to and through Changi. In 1990, when Emirates first started operations in Singapore, it only had four weekly flights between Dubai and Singapore. Today, it has since grown to become one of Changi’s key airline partners. Emirates currently operates a total of 72 passenger and 2 freight weekly flights to and through Singapore, serving a diverse range of regional destinations such as Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland, Colombo, Jakarta and of course Dubai. In the past six months, Emirates has also extended its daily Dubai-Singapore-Melbourne service to Auckland, and introduced another new daily service to Auckland via Singapore and Brisbane.

Singapore’s Commitment to Foreign Airlines

The growth and expansion of Emirates Airline’s operations at Changi is a positive example of Singapore’s commitment to work with all our airlines partners, and help them grow their operations here. Singapore has always placed strong emphasis on building close working relationships between ourselves and our airline partners. Regardless of whether an airline is a large international carrier or a small regional carrier, we believe in providing excellent service to all.

Besides working closely with airlines to facilitate their operations, Changi Airport is also continuously undergoing improvements to ensure that we offer the state-of-the-art facilities and services to our customers. Changi’s Terminal 2 is currently being upgraded and the upgrading of Terminal 1 will start next year. We aim to provide a modern, efficient and pleasant airport environment to all our airlines and passengers regardless which terminal they use.

Furthermore, in recognition of the importance of our airline partners’ contributions to Changi, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has numerous programmes and schemes to encourage airlines to increase their operations at Changi Airport. This includes the 3-year, S$210 million Air Hub Development Fund started in January 2003, as well as the recently launched Growth Incentive Scheme. We welcome feedback from our airline partners on these schemes, as well as ideas on how we can further assist them in their operations here.

Conclusion

Let me conclude by once again congratulating Emirates on the opening of its beautiful and expanded office today as we celebrate the airline’s confidence in the region and its commitment to Singapore. I wish Emirates continued success in the years ahead.

[huaiwei]

Sci-fi access cards for airport staff

The biometric card expected to be in use early next year will identify a person by his fingerprint, iris or even voice

By Karamjit Kaur

FACING a danger unlike any other, Changi Airport disclosed yesterday that security is going to be further tightened, with an access card that is standard fare in sci-fi and spy movies.

The biometric card, to be introduced early next year, will identify a person by a unique human trait, say his fingerprints, the iris of his eyes or even his voice.

This latest technology will be embedded in the computer-coded cards of about 90,000 airport staff, tenants and contractors, who will use them for entry into restricted areas.

The move was disclosed yesterday by Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Minister of State (Health and Transport), who however stressed that biometric passports for Singaporeans will be long in coming.

These passports, which the United States is likely to require before year-end, would be introduced 'much, much later', and probably given to regular travellers first, said Dr Balaji.

He was talking to reporters yesterday at the opening of Avsec 2004 Conference and Exhibition, a gathering Sats Security holds once in two years for aviation security experts and agencies.

Later, a Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore spokesman told The Straits Times that a tender for the biometric card will be called between July and September but for the moment, the details on what kind of card is preferred are not finalised yet.

The move by Changi Airport would be the first done on such a wide scale in Singapore, as the country, like others, looks at ways and means to fortify aviation security since the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.

Air marshals now fly on selected Singapore Airlines flights and recently, all 5,000 of its cabin crew went through a one-day training programme on how to communicate when passengers become threatening and the defensive tactics to use.

Mr Aaron Le Boutillier, managing director of Conflict Solutions Asia, who did the training, said that 97 per cent of the time, effective communication will solve the problem. His tip: Never tell an angry man to calm down.

'Instead, ask him what the problem is, maybe offer him a drink and try and get him to talk to you,' he said, when speaking at the three-day Avsec conference.

When all else fails, he taught cabin crew how to restrain a passenger - as a team and not alone.

Security is also a priority at Singapore's low-fare start-up Valuair, which has fitted cameras in its two planes.

Said Ms Heather Fitzpatrick, its safety and quality assurance manager in a recent interview with The Straits Times: 'We are a low-cost carrier but we do not compromise on safety.'

The various moves here have won praise from terrorism specialist Rohan Gunaratna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism in Singapore.

Speaking to reporters after his keynote address at the conference, he stressed that it is critical for systems and practices to be reviewed and modified regularly to outfox terrorists.

It is not necessary to buy expensive systems every few months. It can be as simple as, say, changing the checkpoint door frequently or even using mobile checkpoints. 'This way, you continually surprise the people who are planning to harm you.'

Homing in on the aviation industry, Dr Gunaratna said the Iraq invasion has heightened the threat as it has 'given a new lease of life to terrorist groups'.

Urging it to be vigilant and proactive, he said: 'Governments are not going to warn you of every impending attack. That is why security measures must be based on your intelligence as well.'

In all this, the public plays a critical role, he added. That is one reason why the US has not fallen victim again to a terror attack since Sept 11, 2001.