SIA lounges at T3 fully reopening today after revamp

Travellers with lounge access can now enjoy a more comfortable journey when passing through Changi Airport, in another step towards normality for air travel.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) said it will fully reopen its two lounges at Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 6pm today, following a $50 million upgrading project that started in 2019.

British Airways had earlier reopened its lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 1 at the end of last month, after a two-year closure.

SIA said yesterday that the upgraded SilverKris and KrisFlyer Gold lounges at T3 will improve customer experience in tandem with the recovery in air travel.

The carrier's chairman Peter Seah said at the lounges' reopening ceremony yesterday that the upgrades will help SIA to continue establishing its leadership in the airline industry.

"We want our lounges to be a signal that not only do we want to maintain our premium brand position, but also to enhance it," said Mr Seah.

"We hope that the opening of these lounges will also buttress our position as the anchor airline for Changi Airport and help show that together... we provide world-class services to all passengers who fly through Singapore."

SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong said the carrier is confident of growing demand for premium travel in the region.

"If you look at this part of the world, you actually see that economies (in the region) are expected to grow faster than most other economies around the world," he said.

"So with that, we expect that business travel and premium travel will also increase."

Transport Minister S. Iswaran said at the reopening ceremony of the lounges that the occasion was a sign of a resilient SIA and an encouraging future for the aviation sector.

The number of passengers passing through Changi Airport is now at almost 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, up from less than 20 per cent in mid-March.

The SIA Group network currently comprises 95 destinations, about 70 per cent of its pre-Covid-19 network.

Mr Goh, who spoke to reporters on the sidelines of the event, said that if capacity increases faster than expected, a planned move to restore pilots' salaries to pre-pandemic levels will also take place earlier.

The upgraded lounges can collectively accommodate about 1,150 customers - a 30 per cent increase from previous capacities.

They will occupy a total area of 6,100 sq m, which is slightly smaller than the size of a football pitch. The lounges will feature dedicated rooms for passengers to nap in, more charging ports for devices, and more seats, among other improvements.

All sections in the lounges will feature bars and offer a range of food options.

The SilverKris lounge is divided into three areas - the business-class section, first-class section, and the Private Room.

The Private Room is the most exclusive option. It is open to suite and first-class passengers.

Among offerings in both the Private Room and the first-class section are rooms equipped with beds that can massage the travellers using them.