The famed Singapore Changi Airport, consistently ranked among the top airports in the world — No. 1 in the Skytrax list 12 times till last year and No. 2 this year — will see the ground-breaking ceremony of its Terminal 5 in the first half of 2025, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He noted that the finished terminal would add 50 million passenger capacity a year to Changi’s current capacity of 90 million a year.
PM Wong said this while attending the CAAS (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) 40th Anniversary Dinner on September 6, 2024.
This morning, in a series of posts on the social network X, the Singapore prime minister spoke of the contribution of CAAS and Changi Airport to the island nation’s economy.
He wrote: “Over the past 40 years, Changi and @SingaporeCAAS have transformed Singapore aviation. From our early days at Paya Lebar, we have become an international air hub, with the entire aviation ecosystem now forming a key part of our economy.”
Reminiscing about this iconic airport, PM Wong wrote: “@ChangiAirport has a special place in the shared experiences and memories of all Singaporeans. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, a family trip to Changi was a special treat for me. We enjoyed watching planes from the viewing gallery and celebrated special occasions at Swensen’s!”
He added: “As we celebrate CAAS’ 40th anniversary, we honour contributions made by all in the aviation family, past & present. The next bound of our aviation story is exciting as we embark on the construction of Terminal 5. Let’s keep working together to take Singapore to greater heights!”
In his speech at the CAAS dinner celebrating the 40th anniversary, PM Wong said, “This milestone in Singapore aviation is also a milestone in our Singapore story. Because aviation has always been vital to Singapore. As a small island nation with no hinterland and no resources of our own, we have to stay open and connected to the world.”
“Aviation enables the movement of goods, services, and people. Aviation is our lifeline to global markets, innovation and opportunity,” he said.
“Our overall aviation ecosystem is also an important part of the economy now. It contributes about 5 per cent of our GDP, sustains good jobs for Singaporeans, and supports other sectors like tourism,” said the prime minister.
He noted that the COVID pandemic — cancelled flights, plummeting traffic — hit Singapore aviation very hard and “there were moments during those periods when it seemed like everything was going to fall apart”.
“We were all genuinely worried about the future of Changi and SIA (Singapore Airlines),” said PM Wong. But then, it was the aviation sector that “allowed the swift delivery of vaccines, PPE, and essential goods. And the continued operation of flights allowed Singaporeans abroad to come back home.”
T5 will sharpen competitive edge of Singapore aviation
Going into the details about T5 and the purpose behind the new terminal, PM Wong said, “Countries in our region and beyond are making significant investments to expand and improve their airport infrastructure, to capture more of this traffic. Some have announced plans for mega airports that can handle more than 100 million passengers a year. So they are narrowing the gap with Singapore.”
In order to “sharpen” its “competitive edge” in aviation, Singapore needed to “develop new advantages” to set itself apart, said PM Wong.
Elaborating on this, he said, “We are already doing a few things for the next leg of our aviation journey. The most important thing we are doing is to invest in Terminal 5 (or T5).
“We will break ground for the construction of T5 in the first half of next year. And T5 will add capacity for another 50 million passengers each year, on top of Changi’s current capacity of 90 million. So it will support more connectivity, transform the passenger experience, and create more jobs.”
In addition to increasing capacity through T5, the Singapore Government is “also working closely” with international partners to “further liberalise” air services agreements, thereby expanding Changi’s network.
PM Wong said, “We are already well connected, with almost 150 city links today. But we aim to grow this further, to over 200 links in the mid-2030s. This will bring more passengers to Changi and Singapore, and create demand for the services of our broader aviation ecosystem.
“Importantly, we must continue to work together as one aviation team, like what we did during COVID. You may come from different organisations, be it CAAS, CAG, SIA or SATS; you could be from the government, industry, or unions — but we are ultimately all part of the same aviation family. So we must work towards our shared goal of a vibrant and thriving Singapore air hub.”
