Changi T3

Jan 10

Changi airport T3 opened with much fanfare yesterday and consolidated Singapore's share as a air transportation hub. At over 380 000 sq meters, its is the largest terminal in Changi. Minor glitches that surfaced were quickly fixed as Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore had previously held an exercise involving over 5 000 staff and volunteers for over 50 trials of passenger and baggage check in and passenger boarding and disembarking procedures.

This terminal is able to handle jumbo sized aircraft, specifically the A380. Although this terminal will ease the air transportation squeeze, whether Singapore will become more popular as a travel destination and as a stopover will really depend on the quality and standard of the tourism industry and future trend of air travel: using long haul flights like the A380 and bypass Singapore or using short-haul flights like the Boeing Dreamliner and use Singapore as a stopover.
Competition from other Asian airports Suvarnabhumi Airprt in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Dubai Interantional Airport is also getting keener with expansion in the works in Bangkok and Dubai.
Changi airport would do well to enhance its customer services and increase the number of F&B and retail outlets available to attract more customers.