The new Terminal 4 in Changi Airport will be hosting an open house from Aug 7 to 20, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a post on his Facebook page on Saturday (July 1) morning.
PM Lee toured the new terminal for about two hours on Friday with his wife Ho Ching and senior minister of state Dr Lam Pin Min.
In his post, PM Lee said: "Changi Airport holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans. For some it is a fast-paced workplace. For many it is a place for family outings and the start of new adventures. But for most of us it is a source of pride at what we can achieve together - the World's Best Airport at the World Airport Awards for the 5th year running!"
Photos on PM Lee's Facebook page show him touring the terminal's arrival hall, Boulevard of Trees attraction, and even posing for a quick "wefie".
He added that he was impressed "by the modern design and automation that runs through the entire FAST clearance process, from self check in, bag drops as well as immigration clearance" as well as "the dedication, creativity, and attention to detail" of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and the Changi Airport Group.
PM Lee noted that Terminal 4 would help to serve the "growing traffic" as Changi's passenger numbers continue to increase.
July 1 marks the 36th year that Changi Airport has been in operation. The newly constructed Terminal 4 saw its first commercial flight land and take off on June 23 this year.
Will there be free shuttle bus provided?
Register for the Open House of @ChangiAirport's new Terminal 4 from July 5 just after midnight. http://str.sg/4a7b
The long-awaited Changi Airport Terminal 4 (T4) finally has an opening date: Tuesday, 31 October.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan made the announcement in a Facebook post on Wednesday (6 September), calling it “another big step forward in our journey as a global #airhub”.
The two-storey building, which covers a gross floor area of about 27 football pitches, cost an estimated S$1.28 billion to build. It will have an annual passenger movement capacity of 16 million passengers. T4’s groundbreaking ceremony took place on 5 November 2013.
“Since the completion of construction last December, Changi Airport Group has conducted more than 100 trials, involving 2,500 airport staff and 1,500 volunteers from the airport community,” said Khaw.
The minister also revealed that volunteers from People’s Association, students from tertiary institutions and various support groups also role-played as passengers during the “endless rounds of testing and fine-tuning”.
Changi Airport’s Terminal 4 (T4) will open on Oct 31, and nine airlines will shift their operations to the new terminal.
The nine airlines – Cathay Pacific Airways, Cebu Pacific Air, Korean Air, Spring Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and four under the AirAsia Group – will progressively move their operations over to the new terminal.
Cathay Pacific Airways and Korean Air will shift operations to T4 on opening day, Tuesday Oct 31, while Cebu Pacific Air and Spring Airlines will make their move on Nov 2. The AirAsia Group and Vietnam Airlines will shift operations on Nov 7.
The Changi Airport Group said in a media release that the first arrival and departure flights at T4 will be operated by Cathay Pacific. The first flight – CX659 from Hong Kong is scheduled to arrive at 0540am, while the first departing flight – CX650 to Hong Kong is scheduled to leave at 6:50am.
Announcing the opening of T4 in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 6), Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said that in the lead up to the opening, the “Changi Airport Group (CAG) conducted more than 100 trials involving 2,500 airport staff and 1,500 volunteers from the airport community”.
Mr Khaw also shared that volunteers from People’s Association, students from tertiary institutions and various support groups also role-played as passengers, and “after endless rounds of testing and fine-tuning, we are ready to open T4.”
The new terminal will also add a capacity of 16 million passengers per year to Changi Airport, bringing the airport’s total annual handling capacity to 82 million passenger movements, according to CAG.
Members of the public were able to get a sneak preview of the terminal last month, from Aug 7 to 20. During the two-week open house, self-guided tours around the terminal covered features like the Heritage Zone, kinetic art displays and an integrated duty-free shopping area. Visitors also had a chance to learn about the Fast and Seamless Travel (Fast) technology, which includes facial recognition and self-service bag-tagging.
Mr Tan Lye Teck, CAG’s Executive Vice President (Airport Management), said: “The past months have been a very crucial period for us as we conducted intensive tests and trials, not only to ensure that the systems work well, but also to understand how passengers navigate the new terminal, including interacting with initiatives such as FAST which may be less familiar to them.”
Changi Airport T5 will prolly be launched in another few more years time from now too.
very nice