Singapore’s Seletar Airport is on track to open its new passenger terminal by the end of this year, adding capacity for about 700,000 passenger movements a year at the country’s smaller airport.
Costing approximately S$80 million (US$58.6 million), the new building is more than six times bigger than the airport’s current terminal, covering some 10,000 sqm, and will feature expanded departure and arrival areas geared towards handling scheduled commercial flights.
In the departures area, the terminal will include four check-in counters, six immigration lanes, two security screening stations and a gate holdroom capable of accommodating up to 200 passengers.
Meanwhile, a dedicated section for chartered business flights and private jets, including its own lounge area, will also be available.
Changi Airport Group, which also operates Singapore’s primary international airport, Changi Airport, is also set to manage the new terminal at Seletar.
But the significance of the new terminal goes beyond just new and improved facilities for passengers flying into or out of this smaller airport.
Upon the new terminal becoming operational, Malaysia Airlines subsidiary Firefly is set to relocate from Changi Airport to Seletar Airport. Scheduled turboprop flights operated by other carriers will also be relocated to Seletar, The Straits Times reports.
Firefly currently operates 20 daily turboprop flights at Changi Airport to and from Subang, Ipoh and Kuantan, and their relocation will open up valuable slots at the country’s main international airport for other airlines.
Changi Airport saw a record-high of 62.2 million passengers in 2017, and in October last year opened its new Terminal 4 building. The airport also plans to open a Terminal 5 building around 2030.
“The new passenger terminal enables Seletar Airport to handle the expected growth of aviation activities in future,” said Khoh Su Lim, associate general manager of Seletar Airport.
“We look forward to providing passengers with a fresh experience, in terms of comfort and convenience, when the new terminal starts operations around the end of the year.”
