SINGAPORE - Travellers and visitors have plenty to look forward to as Changi Airport continues to expand and improve its services and facilities to stay ahead of rivals in the region.

* In 2017, Terminal 4 which is being built where the former Budget Terminal was located will open with a capacity to handle up to 16 million passengers a year. Cathay Pacific is the first airline to confirm it will operate out of the new terminal, which will offer travellers more do-it-yourself options with self-service kiosks for check in, aircraft boarding and other passenger processes.

* In 2018, Jewel, a new retail-cum-airport development, will welcome its first visitors. Located where the Terminal 1 open-air carpark used to be, the building will have five floors above ground with five basement levels. Designed by Moshe Safdie - the man behind the iconic Marina Bay Sands - Jewel will feature a 40m-high indoor waterfall and a five-storey-high indoor garden. Also being planned is a 130-room hotel. The remaining space is reserved for airport facilities like passenger lounges and check-in counters. The complex will be linked to the three main terminals.

* By 2018, Terminal 1 would have undergone a $323 million refurbishment, which will include the revamp of the departure hall with existing check-in counters replaced and the installation of two new check-in rows to handle more passengers.

* Work is expected to start on the mega Terminal 5 in a few years time. The new passenger facility, slated for opening in the middle of the next decade, will be built at Changi East, which is currently separated from the airport by Changi Coast Road.