|
CHANGI Airport will have a fourth passenger terminal as Singapore moves to ensure it has the capacity to cope with growth in the aviation market.
Minister of State for Transport Lim Hwee Hua yesterday told Parliament that master-planning for Terminal 4 has started.
The announcement comes just two months after the opening of the $1.75 billion Terminal 3.
Speaking during the debate on the budget for transport, Mrs Lim said: 'To continue to ensure that we have sufficient capacity to accommodate growth in the aviation market, the master-planning for Terminal 4 has started.'
She also announced a $10 million expansion plan for Changi's Budget Terminal, to raise its handling capacity from the current 2.7 million passengers a year, to seven million.
The expansion, which will be carried out from July to early next year, will increase the terminal's floor space to 28,700 sq m, up from 25,000 sq m.
Mr Lim Kim Choon of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) yesterday called the expansion 'timely'.
The director-general and chief executive officer of CAAS said that passenger traffic is expected to increase further when restrictions on flights between Asean capitals are lifted by December.
'The increased capacity can last us through the next few years,' said Mr Lim in a statement.
The Budget Terminal handled 1.77 million passengers last year. Since it opened in March 2006, about 2.9 million passengers have passed through its doors.
Weekly scheduled flights at the terminal, operated by Tiger Airways and the Philippines' Cebu Pacific Air, have more than doubled from 124 in March 2006 to 284 last month, said CAAS.
After the expansion, the Budget Terminal will have seven extra check-in counters, on top of the 18 it has now.
Three more boarding gates will also be built, bringing the total to 10.
The Budget Terminal now links passengers to 20 cities in the region, compared to 12 when it first opened.
Overall, Changi Airport had 190 city links last year, up from 140 in 2002. The number of scheduled weekly flights also rose to 4,300, from 3,400 within the same period.
Last year, Changi handled 36.7 million passengers.
Despite the burgeoning numbers, Mrs Lim noted that other airports in the region are growing as well, so Changi is facing strong competition.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport, for example, grew by almost 10 per cent last year and handled 26 million passengers.
Its Low Cost Terminal is also embarking on an expansion plan to up its annual passenger capacity to 15 million, from 10 million.
Outside of South-east Asia, the Dubai International Airport is expected to handle more than 40 million passengers this year, overtaking Changi.
Said Mrs Lim: 'Changi is no stranger to competition but it is critical that we are aware of these challenges and that we take decisive steps to strengthen Changi's position as a leading air hub in the region.'
ghimlay@sph.com.sg
Larger Budget Terminal
AFTER the $10m expansion, Changi's Budget Terminal will:
Be able to handle seven million passengers a year, up from the current 2.7 million passengers.
Have a floor space of 28,700 sq m, up from 25,000 sq m.
Have seven extra check-in counters, on top of the 18 it has now.
Have three more boarding gates, bringing the total to 10.
|
