Changi Airport airside workers to get expanded rest areas, second cafe

SINGAPORE – Airside workers at Changi Airport can look forward to expanded rest areas, a second airside cafe and better lighting and natural ventilation in restrooms, among other improvements to their work environment.

These improvements were announced by Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat on Feb 20 at

Changi Airport’s 30th Annual Airport Celebration,

held at Resorts World Sentosa.

The improved and expanded rest areas mean all workers will be within a 10-minute walk or short drive from an air-conditioned staff lounge or cafe, he said.

The airside refers to the part of the airport after immigration clearance, and airside workers include aircraft technicians, maintenance crew, baggage handlers and refuelling staff.

Speaking at the event, Mr Chee revealed that Changi Airport handled more than 6.16 million passengers in January.

This coincides with the busy Chinese New Year travel season and was a 13 per cent increase from January 2024.

It was also the first time the airport’s monthly traffic reached six million in January.

The second airside cafe, slated to open in 2026, will offer more hot food options for workers, Mr Chee said. The first airside cafe for airport workers is in Terminal 1, and the location for the second one has not been confirmed.

Operator Changi Airport Group (CAG) will also revamp the Rest & Dine spaces within baggage-handling areas by the end of 2025.

There are four such spaces at the airport, with one at each terminal.

This will remove the need for workers to travel far to find an area where they can relax or have a snack or drink during breaks.

CAG will also add more airside toilets where possible and improve lighting and natural ventilation in all existing airside restrooms over the next three years, Mr Chee said.

To mitigate heat stress from climate change, CAG will increase the number of fans in baggage-handling areas. It will also continue investing efforts in testing new ways to lower ambient temperatures in the baggage area.

When contacted, CAG said it did not have further details about these initiatives.

Mr Chee also said CAG will repurpose lightning shelters by adding seats and fans to provide workers with better protection from the sun and rain, and make these more comfortable and convenient.

Changi Airport is also making its facilities more inclusive. A new Calm Room designed for passengers with autism, dementia and anxiety disorder will open in the transit area of Terminal 2 later in 2025, CAG said.

The facility will feature immersive digital displays with nature-inspired visuals, accompanied by soothing sounds of rustling leaves and chirping birds.

“Air travel can be particularly stressful for these passengers and their caregivers,” said CAG’s chief executive Yam Kum Weng, adding that the Calm Room is meant for passengers feeling overwhelmed by the airport environment.

The Calm Room will be introduced progressively to other airport terminals.

In 2024,

Changi Airport welcomed 67.7 million passengers,

just shy of the record 68.3 million in 2019. This was a 15 per cent increase from 2023, bringing passenger volume almost on a par with pre-Covid-19 levels.

The authorities

expect Changi Airport to handle more passengers in 2025

than it did before the pandemic.

As air travel volume continues to increase, Mr Chee said investments will be made to ensure Changi Airport remains well positioned to capture the growth.

This includes the

$5 billion top-up to the Changi Airport Development Fund,

announced in Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong’s Budget speech on Feb 18, to support the airport’s expansion, including the construction of Terminal 5.