Does Singapore want to turn half the country into an airport?

More than just an airport terminal, Singapore's Changi Airport has long been considered a destination for sightseeing, photography, and recreation. For the past decade, Changi has consistently ranked among Skytrax's annual "best airports in the world." Now, as travelers begin to return to the city after a two-year pandemic-related delay, Singapore recognizes its potential for growth even more. Therefore, officials have decided to expand Changi Airport with a fifth terminal.

In a meeting at the end of July, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Terminal 5 will add approximately 50 million passenger capacity to the airport annually. This is a significant number considering the current four terminals handle around 82 million passengers per year. He also noted that Terminal 5 will have an area equivalent to that of all four existing terminals combined.

"We are building a new Changi Airport. And it's very big," said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Construction of Terminal 5 is expected to begin in about two years, and it is anticipated to be operational in the mid-2030s. Located within the 1,080-hectare Changi East development, Terminal 5 comprises three runways and is connected to the other four terminals.

In fact, Singapore had long planned to build a new terminal, but everything was put on hold for two years due to the pandemic. “We concluded that the future of the aviation industry remains very bright. Passenger traffic has reached more than half of pre-pandemic levels, and that’s a good sign. In the long term, air travel will continue to grow due to the rapidly expanding middle class. Therefore, we decided to proceed and restart the T5 project.”

In 2019 alone, Changi Airport served 68.3 million passengers. After easing pandemic restrictions in July 2022, passenger traffic reached 55% of pre-pandemic levels. Premier Lee Hsien Loong also stated that the design of the new Terminal 5 will take into account pandemic scenarios, allowing officials to quarantine passengers at the airport to limit cross-infection.

In addition, the airport will also be equipped with contactless systems and modern enhanced ventilation systems. In terms of sustainability, Terminal 5 will also feature solar panels and a smart building management system.

“When completed in the 2030s, T5 will show the world what Singapore is like,” declared Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The design of the new terminal has not yet been revealed.

Thomas Heatherwick, the designer responsible for T5, shared: “Most airports around the world aren’t great places for customers to spend time. But Changi is different. Instead of creating a huge place on the outskirts of the city exclusively for travelers, our plan was to create a social space that locals would also be excited to visit.”

Anh Thi