Special Report
Changi Airport
Airport operators in need of inspiration would do well to take a closer look at Singapore Changi, something of a prototype for modern airports. Andy Hoskins profiles its development
With a swimming pool, kids play area, giant slides, games consoles and a movie theatre it might sound like the latest Center Parc, but this is in fact Singapore’s Changi Airport. There are themed outdoor and indoor gardens
at Changi, plus a koi pond, transit hotel with bookings for six-hour blocks, free city tours to passengers who have at least five hours in transit at the airport, and a viewing gallery complete with a hands-on interactive exhibition. And it doesn’t stop there. As well as some 400
shops and dining establishments, there are also paid-for shower facilities, a gym, spa treatments and hairdressers, a games arcade and plenty of designated relaxation areas. It’s no wonder that Changi’s innovative
approach to customer care has helped it earn over 390 awards since it opened in 1981. In the UK alone it has been voted Best Airport
in the World by readers of Business Traveller for 24 consecutive years, and Best Long Haul Airport by readers of travel trade monthly magazine Selling Long Haul eight times in the last 11 years. Its many accolades, it claims, help make it the
world’s most awarded airport, a shining example of what every international airport should be like. The opening of Terminal 2 in 1990 was a sign
of things to come, while the Budget Terminal followed in 2006 and a state-of-the-art Terminal 3 in 2008. Today, a major upgrade of Terminal 1 is underway, with a S$500million facelift plus measures to improve passenger flow at key areas. Changi authorities like to think passengers can
begin their holiday the moment they arrive at the airport, while those in transit can actively enjoy their visit or find it unusually productive. Business travellers in particular appreciate complimentary wireless internet throughout the four terminals, plus business centres and paid-for lounges. Some passengers – CIPs, or commercially important people – are able to use the airport’s JetQuay service where formalities such as check- in immigration and baggage clearance are all taken care of for them in a small private terminal. Changi also boasts the distinction of being the
Not too many airports can boast a swimming pool (top). Changi’s Terminal 2 kerbside entrance (right) and TV lounge (left)
world’s busiest Airbus A380 multi-carrier hub. Over S$68million was spent on airport and airfield modifications ahead of the historic August 2007 launch of Singapore Airlines superjumbo services. Work undertaken to achieve ‘Code F’ airport status included the addition of a third aerobridge arm (to serve the top deck of the aircraft) at each of the 19 A380-compatible gates, widening of runway shoulders and taxiway intersections. Today Changi is connected to ten cities
worldwide by some 202 weekly A380 flights courtesy of Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Qantas (the latter two carriers are the airport’s biggest operators). Singapore Changi continues to invest in its
infrastructure to ensure it remains a hub ‘where the feeling is always first class’. After all, happy customers mean happy airlines, and happy airlines mean a happy airport.
Changi Airport in numbers • There are 550 free internet terminals • Serves 100 airlines flying to over 200 cities in 60 countries
• Over 400 shopping and dining outlets • Handles about 6,100 flights a week and over 42 million passengers a year
• Two runways, each 4km long • Handles some 70,000 bags every day • Employs 28,000 people • 10,000 baggage trolleys available for use
www.onboardhospitality.com 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132