Jetstar not relocating to Changi Airport T4 until impact study completed

BUDGET airline Jetstar will not be moving to Changi Airport Terminal 4 (T4) before it has completed a comprehensive review of the impact of such a move, The Business Times (BT) understands.

The airport operator on Friday (Jul 22) announced that 16 airlines, including Jetstar, would relocate to T4 when the facility reopens in September in anticipation of higher passenger traffic.

But Jetstar expressed to the media its “extreme disappointment” about Changi Airport Group’s “unilateral” decision to move the airline’s operations. Jetstar told the media the parties have just agreed last week to carry out a study to see how the move might impact it.

Now, BT understands the airline had been approached pre-pandemic and agreed to a joint study to determine if the move was a viable option.

But discussions were placed on hold without a decision reached when the pandemic hit, and have only recently been revisited.

Jetstar will not be relocating from Terminal 1 where it has been operating since 2004, if the airline has not completed the review and made an informed decision, BT understands.