Changi Airport is improving facilities at Terminal 2 to prepare it for a rise in traffic when it takes over flights from the Budget Terminal, which is due to close later this month.
The Budget Terminal will be closed on September 25 to allow construction of a new Terminal 4. Those airlines currently served by the Budget Terminal, namely Berjaya Air, Cebu Pacific, Firefly, Mandala Airlines, South East Asian Airlines and Tiger Airways, will then operate out of Terminal 2.
Changi Airport representatives say they expect Terminal 2 to handle approximately 790 extra flights each week. Last year the Budget Terminal handled five million travellers, while Terminal 2 handled 13 million.
A spokesperson for the airport said that Terminal 2’s existing facilities would allow it to handle up to 23 million passengers a year.
“It still has a lot of room to grow before it reaches capacity,” he said.
To further prepare for the increase in passengers, Changi Airport intends to implement a number of improvements to Terminal 2 before September 25.
It will enhance immigration facilities by creating a number of new automatic gantries. Whilst these can only be used by Singaporean citizens, they will help to lighten the load on the other immigration counters, the spokesperson said.
Alongside this, there is also a plan in place to increase the number of staff at the terminal providing services such as cleaning, trolley retrieval, taxi co-ordination, and security.
The airport recommends passengers travelling from Terminal 2 on the days following September 5 arrive early.
“As with all transitions, there may be initial teething issues,” said Yeo Kia Thye, Changi Airport Group’s senior vice president for airport operations.
To read about the recent renovations to Changi Airport's Terminal 1, click here.
For more information, visit www.changiairport.com
Nicholas Olczak
