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Experiencing the strain in handling four million passengers per year, the Singapore government made a decision in 1975 to build a new airport at Changi to replace Paya Lebar Airport. Today, Changi Airport is served by more than 70 airlines flying to more than 160 cities in 53 countries, and is well placed to meet Singapore ‘s aviation needs well into the future. Spanning an area of 1,300 hectares, Singapore Changi Airport is located at the eastern tip of Singapore, some 20 kilometres from the city centre. Located along the coastal line of the island, there is minimal noise pollution as flight paths are generally over the sea.
Development of Changi Airport
More than half of Changi Airport ‘s total land was reclaimed from the sea. To make way for the construction of Changi Airport in 1975, almost 200 hectares of swamp area were cleared. In addition, 12 million cubic metres of earth from nearby hills were removed to fill the swampy ground. Reclamation from the seabed was done using seven cutter-suction dredges round the clock. The sand mixed with water was pumped direct from the dredging sites to the reclamation area. The job was completed within 29 months and more than 40 million cubic metres of sand were used from the seabed.
Phase 1 development of Changi Airport included the completion of the passenger terminal building 1, a runway, 45 aircraft parking bays, a huge maintenance hangar, a fire station, workshops and administrative offices, an airfreight complex, cargo agents buildings, in-flight catering kitchens and a 80-metre high control tower.
With Phase 1 completed in 1981, Phase II development started, comprising a second runway, taxiways, 23 aircraft parking bays, a second fire station and a third cargo agent building. The construction of Terminal 2 followed in 1986, which included the associated roadways, two multi-storey carparks, a people mover system (Changi Skytrain) and a baggage transfer system between the two terminals.
Terminal 2 is currently undergoing upgrading at a cost of S$240 million. When completed in 2005, the upgrading will add capacity to the departure/transit louge, enhancing Changi’s position as an aviation hub in the region.
Construction work for Changi’s third passenger terminal, Terminal 3, commenced in October 2000. Terminal 3 will be designed for an annual handling capacity of around 20 million passengers, bringing the total handling capacity of Singapore Changi Airport to 64 million passengers per year.
Travel To and From the Airport
Well-connected by two major expressways, the East Coast Parkway and Pan Island Expressway, travellers and visitors to the airport will be able to reach the other parts of Singapore with much ease and convenience. Coupled with Singapore ‘s extensive and free-flowing road network system, the city is almost a doorstep away from the airport with a mere 20 minutes drive. The ground access to and from Changi Airport is further enhanced with its connection to the island-wide rail network system (Mass Rapid Transit).
TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific editorial team has an experience of over 35 years in B2B travel journalism as well as in tourism & hospitality marketing and communications.
