Changi Airport Group (CAG) has unveiled its plans for the development of the Singapore hub’s Terminal 4.
Built on the site of the old budget terminal, the new T4 will have a capacity of 16 million passengers per year, increasing the airport’s overall capacity to 82m. The development will include a new two-storey terminal building with a total area of 160,000m². While not acting as a direct replacement of the budget terminal, CAG said the new T4 would “primarily handle narrow body aircraft and be designed to enable quick turnaround of flights”. It will however, handle both full-service and low-cost airlines. Designed in the same style of Changi airport’s existing Terminals 1 and 2, T4 will feature retail outlets and aerobridges at boarding gates. The airport will also focus on new self-service technologies, such as check-in kiosks and baggage drops.
The T4 airfield will also be expanded, with a 38-hectare land plot south of Terminal 3 to be converted into an aircraft parking area capable of housing 17 narrow-body and nine wide-body aircraft stands. This will increase the total number of parking stands at Changi airport by 24% to more than 180.
Meanwhile, CAG revealed that surrounding infrastructure will also be upgraded, including a new road to funnel outgoing traffic directly from T4 on to the East Coast Parkway. A multi-storey car park capable of housing 1,200 vehicles will also be constructed next to the terminal.
The budget for the T4 construction project is approximately SG$600 million (US$484m), with another SG$680m allocated for the development of airfield infrastructure, road and drainage works. Construction of T4 will begin this year with the terminal expected to be ready in 2017.
“Throughout its history, Changi airport has always stayed ahead of its capacity needs. This approach has underpinned Changi’s success as an air hub – an airport that passengers love and airlines appreciate,” said CAG’s CEO, Lee Seow Hiang.
“Along with the measures announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to improve runway capacity, our infrastructure investments over the next four to five years lay the groundwork for us to continue delivering a great Changi Experience and attracting more airlines to fly to Changi airport. We are excited about these projects and look forward to their successful completion with the support of our many partners,” he added.
Changi airport catered to a record 51.2m passengers in 2012, 10% more than in 2011 and the first time it had exceeded 50m. Flight movements climbed 7.6% to 324,700.
