Changi Airport’s Terminal 2 (T2) will undergo expansion and renovation works after the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays.
According to Changi Airport Group (CAG), this “multi-year” expansion project will increase T2’s handling capacity and renew the facilities and amenities inside the terminal.
CAG said the expansion project will add 15,500 sqm to the terminal building and further increase Changi Airport’s capacity by five million passengers a year, which will bring the airport’s total capacity to 90 million passengers a year when the project is completed in around 2024.
Other renovation features will include additional space in both departure and arrival halls, additional retail and F&B outlets and more greenery.
Departure hall
After refurbishment, the Departure Hall in T2 will feature a common-use central “Fast And Seamless Travel (FAST)” zone with more automated check-in kiosks and bag drop machines.
Changi Airport’s Terminal 4, which began operations in October 2017, has already been equipped with automated systems for check-in, bag-drop, immigration and boarding procedures. Business Traveller Asia-Pacific previously reviewed the airport’s automated departure procedures there.
CAG added that the existing rows of check-in counters will also be transformed “to better serve passengers”, and the overall passenger handling capacity in the hall will be increased by as much as 20 per cent.
The expansion and renovation works will begin with check-in rows 9 to 12 in the Departure Hall.
Some airlines operating in T2 will be shifted to alternative check-in rows within the terminal during the course of works. The two flight information display flip boards will also be retired, with the one between check-in rows 9 and 10 to be decommissioned next month.
The existing ceiling will be replaced with a new 3D curved feature ceiling that “resembles a large garden pergola”. New plant species, green feature columns and overhanging or suspended green formations will also be added.
The renovation will also see a new duplex F&B concept introduced at the north end of T2’s landside leading to Jewel Changi Airport, a mixed-use complex that opened in April last year and has an indoor garden and a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options.
Departure Transit Hall
The former Orchid Garden in the Departure Transit Hall will be closed to make way for a new garden, which will showcase a “revolutionary landscape design” and feature “a plethora” of new plant species when it reopens.
Meanwhile, the commercial spaces within the Departure Transit Hall will be increased to cater for more retail and F&B offerings for passengers. In particular, the food street areas that are located along the length of the Departure Transit Hall and overlook the tarmac will undergo refurbishment.
After renovation, these areas will have more F&B kiosks, additional seating and a “newly curated tenant mix”, while its design will incorporate green walls, hanging plants and soft lighting.
Passengers will also be able to enjoy refreshed waiting areas with “more comfortable” seating, relaxation zones and a new play area for children. New experiential zones will also be introduced at various locations within the Departure Transit Hall.
Immigration halls
Both departure and arrival immigration halls will be expanded to cater to higher passenger traffic in T2. Both immigration halls will be reconfigured to accommodate more automated immigration lanes and incorporate “lush greenery”.
Two existing baggage belts will be lengthened, and two more will be added as well, bringing the total number of baggage belts to 10.
At the same time, the baggage storage system will also be upgraded from semi-automated to fully automated, which will allow 2,300 bags to be stored at any time.
Arrival Hall
A “garden-like” lounge will be added in the Arrival Hall.
As for the dining outlets in the public area of the airport, McDonald’s in the Arrival Hall will close on January 31, while Starbucks in the Departure Hall will cease operations in April this year.
The remaining F&B outlets in T2’s public areas will remain open until the later phases of the expansion works. After renovation, there will be new F&B kiosks offering additional quick bites options at the south end of the Arrival Hall.
“The expansion and renovation works will rejuvenate T2, while the upgrades in the key operating infrastructure such as the baggage handling systems will enhance the terminal’s capacity and efficiency, allowing us to serve more airlines and passengers when the works are completed,” said Tan Lye Teck, CAG’s executive vice president of airport management.
“T2 will continue to operate and welcome passengers, even as we work to minimise disruption to operations and inconvenience to passengers and visitors.”
In October this year, Changi Airport will also close one of the runways for its Changi East project, which will include the construction of a new terminal (Terminal 5) and a three-runway system.
