CHANGI AIRPORT / Terminal 1 & 2, Aviation News

[jpatokal]

Originally Posted by eighth8

If you have realised, all airlines that are moving to T3 are all Star Alliance members. That is what that is stated at those information guide counters situated around T3.

Only UA is. There is currently no coordination at all between *A members in SIN: ANA, Asiana, Swiss, Thai, Turkish use T1, while Lufthansa uses T2.

[ddes]

There IS consolidation among Star Alliance members but minimal. However, you can clearly see steps are being taken to coordinate among members.

Because of codesharing, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Lufthansa, EgyptAir, Asiana, US Airways and Air India unofficially operate out of T3.

The rest, at Terminal 1 have check-in desks almost beside each other. Thai, understandably is alone at row 3 (with SAS codeshare), because it has made clear of its unhappiness that SQ is in Star as the leading Southeast Asian partner. Besides that, ANA and Asiana are now at rows 5 and 6. Swiss and Air China are at rows 7 and 8.

Air India and Indian have yet to merge operations in Changi yet.

Oneworld and Skyteam alliance consolidation is far more complete.

Common Economy check-in areas for American, British Airways and Japan Airlines. Common check-in areas for Kangaroo routes between BA and QF. Cathay Pacific also has moved from row 6 to be closer to its Oneworld partners. With the exception of Cathay, ALL Oneworld airlines, including Jetstar use Concourse C only.

Skyteam partners, Air France, KLM, 'Delta', Korean Air virtually use the same check-in rows.

[RafflesCity]

TNT to invest $54m in S'pore over 5 years

12 April 08

GLOBAL express freight giant TNT says it will spend about 25 million euros (S$53.8 million) over the next five years developing infrastructure in Singapore.
The group was yesterday celebrating the first landing of a TNT freight aircraft in Singapore. It had previously used planes from partner companies for flights.

Singapore is the first South-east Asian nation to host its Boeing 747-400ER, which carries 900 tonnes of cargo and now flies between Belgium and Shanghai.

From May 25, TNT Airways will operate six freighter flights a week from Singapore, which will serve as a hub linking China, via Shanghai, and Europe, via Liege.

TNT said it aims to invest 100 million euros over the next five years to capture freight opportunities between South-east Asia, Europe and China. About a quarter of this will be invested in developing infrastructure in Singapore.

TNT said demand for freight services in the region is growing rapidly, driven mainly by the high-tech, equipment, health-care and biomedical sectors.

TNT has a 7 per cent market share in Asia, a figure which chief operating officer James McCormac hopes will grow to about 12 per cent in five years.

The Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, said yesterday: 'TNT's growing presence in Singapore is a strong endorsement of the Republic's status as an air express hub.'

CHIA YAN MIN

[RafflesCity]

$500m facelift for T1

25 Aug 08



By Maria Almenoar
Straits Times

CHANGI Airport's 27-year-old Terminal 1 will undergo a $500 million upgrading to rejuvenate its interior and finishes.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Monday signed a contract with Takenaka Corporation, which will complete the upgrading work by the third quarter of 2011.

When ready, passengers can look forward to a new two lane-wide departure kerbside canopy which will provide more shelter for drop-offs, two new skylights to allow natural light into the terminal building and 15 more retail and, food and beverage outlets.

There will also be a new public viewing gallery, a centralised departure immigration area, a large piazza area in the centre of the departure transit mall with seats for passengers, and new outdoor areas with water features and plants.

A high glass facade will also feature along the length of the Arrival Immigration Hall.

Another feature that is set to wow passengers and visitors will be the 'Orchid Library' in the departure check-in hall, which will display potted orchids in bloom.

The contract was signed by CAAS' Director-General & Chief Executive Officer, Mr

Lim Kim Choon and Takenaka Corporation's Managing Director, Mr Atsuyoshi Suzuki.

[LondonBVE]

I don't really like the seats and flooring colours, it makes it feel a bit "old" and "cheap", but I like the water and glass added to it. Make it more modern but again colour wise, brown, red and yellow don't really match.

[Amal]

Charting the right path for Changi

By Karamjit Kaur, Aviation Correspondent

THE principles are sound: If Changi Airport is to retain its premier status, it must remain nimble. That is better ensured by a corporate entity, driven by commercial principles, running it. Hence, the move to corporatise the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

Possibly by the first half of next year, the CAAS will be split. One part will regulate the industry. Among its other duties, it would license pilots and planes as well as enforce safety and maintenance standards. The other part will run the airport.

The Government will own 100 per cent of both entities.

All that is clear enough. But the devil is in the details: Who gets what?

FULL STORY: http://travel.asiaone.com/Travel/New...828-84706.html

[Amal]

Butterflies take flight at T3 garden

Thu, Aug 28, 2008

Jet planes will not be the only ones taking flight at Changi Airport.

Changi visitors can now marvel at 1,000 butterflies of 47 different species roaming freely in Terminal 3's latest facility, the Butterfly Garden.

The 330 square-metre facility, located in the heart of T3's Departure/ Transit Mall, was officially opened today, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a media release.

The two-storey, open-air and non-smoking nature retreat is fully enclosed by a curvilinear shaped roof in stainless steel mesh and glass panels.



A timber walkway will allow visitors to experience the garden while an incorporated waterfall feature will help keep the garden cool in Singapore's tropical weather.

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, who graced the launch said, "Passengers will have a tranquil haven offering a respite from the stresses of travelling.

"This new facility is part of CAAS' on-going efforts to review and introduce novel or improved facilities to enhance the 'Changi Experience' for our passengers."

The Butterfly Garden also features educational elements, with informative panels and feeding corners where butterflies can be observed at a close range.

http://travel.asiaone.com/Travel/New...828-84733.html

[kurakura]

damn...only for ppl with air tix

[ddes]

Kingfisher Airlines begins its Mumbai- Singapore route from September 18. Does anyone know what terminal it will be using? I can't imagine it using T1, more likely T2 and T3?

[JediAlf]

Kingfisher, SIA battle it for Singapore market
Manisha Singhal / Mumbai August 27, 2008, 5:57 IST

For decades, more than 70 per cent of the business and first-class passenger market between India and Singapore has been controlled by Singapore International Airlines (SIA).

But homegrown Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines is all set to challenge that with daily flights to the island city starting September 18 from Mumbai, a move that has prompted SIA to respond by adding more India-Singapore flights and increasing discounts.

Kingfisher is wooing SIA’s high-margin business and first-class passengers by deploying the state-of-the-art Airbus A330 and offering premium services.

“We are positioning ourselves as a premium Indian carrier with a ‘wow’ product on the route,” said Rajesh Verma, executive vice-president, Kingfisher Airlines.

“We are aware that there are established carriers like Singapore Airlines flying for years and they have deep pockets too. But we will get loads because we will offer a competitive product at competitive pricing,” he added.

The twin configuration A330 will have just 30 seats on Kingfisher First and 187 King Class seats (which are economy seats — Kingfisher does not have a business class).

First-class passengers will also be pampered with a chef on board, professional bar-tender, a jacket ironing facility and a social area with seat massages

SIA is already responding to the challenge by launching five more morning flights a week from Delhi, taking the total to 14 services a week ex Delhi.

“We are also looking at an increase of frequencies to Bangalore but that is slated for later in the year,” said Foo Chai Woo, general manager India, Singapore Airlines.

“Our aspirations will be to operate double daily to Chennai and Bangalore just like Mumbai currently. Looking ahead, we also need to increase flights to other key cities like Hyderabad as the market develops further,” Foo added.

Singapore Airlines executives said the airline is also offering discounts of between 33 and 66 per cent on return economy fares on its new flights. This will lead to some fare wars on the route as Kingfisher also has to fill its economy seats.

Kingfisher, however, says that it does not want to get into a price war but will respond to any challenge.

Travel trade experts point out that for Kingfisher the timing is right as it will launch just as the leisure season picks up. Load factors during the festival season go up 40 per cent between October and December.

[RafflesCity]

I remember reading sometime back that Kingfisher was quite ambitious and had even ordered an A380.

[ddes]

Originally Posted by RafflesCity

I remember reading sometime back that Kingfisher was quite ambitious and had even ordered an A380.

They still have the A380 on order, along with a whole lot of A32X which they have deferred, more A330s, A350s, A340s which they cancelled...

From an aviation forum, ANA will move to Terminal 2 from October 1.
Finally, more proof that the Star Alliance are attempting to consolidate in Changi. Probably also because of the Terminal 1 works as well as recently increased codesharing with SQ on flights between SIN and Japan and MidEast/ India.

[JediAlf]

Yes. This is right.

London's Heathrow Airport (all members would be at Heathrow East in 2012 (new terminal) and Beijing Airport have already consolidated most of star alliance members at its Terminal 3.

We have 7 airlines at Terminal 1.
- Air China
- Asiana Airlines
- Air India (to be member of Star Alliance in 2009)
- EgyptAir
- Swiss Airlines
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines

United Airlines is at Terminal 3.
Lufthansa is at Terminal 2.

It would be better if all members move to Terminal 3.

Extract from Star Alliance website:

Move Under One Roof - Faster Transfer Times
We've developed a concept where all our member airlines come together at one terminal. We call that Move Under One Roof. It means much faster connections between flights. For instance, at Terminal One at Narita in Japan, we've cut the waiting times by over 50%.

Co-location is sweeping the globe, with Bangkok, Miami, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore and Seoul following rapidly in Narita's footsteps.

Not surprising really, after all, what's the point of flying around the world in fast planes if you land at slow airports?

[ddes]

CORRECTION!

EgyptAir no longer flies to Singapore. They now codeshare on Singapore Airlines' flights to Cairo.

Since Singapore Airlines uses both Terminal 2 and 3, I doubt there is any difference in using either terminal for Star Alliance carriers.

But frankly, it's embarrassing that SkyTeam and Oneworld have better consolidated their operations in Changi much quicker than SQ and Star considering that SQ has had better and more superior resources to handle the alliance consolidation.

At Terminal 1, the left side has sort of become the SkyTeam side while the right side has become the Oneworld side, with other airlines sandwiched in between and randomly.

I noticed AF-KLM has moved their check-in counters to where Emirates once used to be, at the far end. While Asiana Airlines has moved to where Cathay Pacific counters were. Cathay, Japan Airlines and American moved to where AF-KLM used to be. Sorry if it sounds confusing.

[kurakura]

competition is good for commuters...but hey...airtix is so ex nowdays...i have not been flying budget air for months...

[JediAlf]

Bird view of Changi Airport and Changi East Air Base.

[Simon91]

Woah lovely shot!! Have anyone been to that reclaimed area (cycling, etc) btw?

[RafflesCity]

I think there is a park connector that runs alongside the airport perimeter but does it actually go to the reclaimed land?

@JediAlf

I assume the land between the airbase and existing airport has been set aside for future airport expansion. What about the land to the left of the airbase?

[JediAlf]

Originally Posted by RafflesCity

I think there is a park connector that runs alongside the airport perimeter but does it actually go to the reclaimed land?

@JediAlf

I assume the land between the airbase and existing airport has been set aside for future airport expansion. What about the land to the left of the airbase?

Park Connector does follow along the airport perimeter.

The land between airbase and the Changi airport is slated for future terminals - planned Terminal 4 and also have space for terminal 5 as well as hangars and other airport facilities.

The third operational runway at the airbase would be extended to 4km once new terminals come into action in the future.

On the left - of the land is Changi Naval Base, all sorts of deslination plants, Newater and Deep Sewage Tunnel Treatment Centres.

[Simon91]

Yeah Park Connector is by the perimeter, i was thinking about the empty land itself.

@RC, I've heard that there is construction of Singapore Spaceport left from the AB too, last time I departed from Changi I saw some construction east from the runway's northern threshold.