CHANGI Airport has reopened Terminal 2 (T2) after 3½ years of expansion works, just as the air hub expects to welcome a full recovery to passenger traffic by 2024.

Changi Airport Group pushed ahead with the T2 project, however, driven by the conviction that the air hub would not only recover from the pandemic, but emerge stronger, said Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, who reopened the expanded T2 on Wednesday (Nov 1).

“Changi’s passenger traffic in the first eight months of this year was the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. We expect Changi’s passenger volumes to recover fully by 2024, and then continue to grow,” said Teo in his speech.

T2 can now handle 28 million passengers or five million more annually, bringing Changi’s operating capacity to 90 million passengers a year across its four terminals.

The T2 expansion project has added more than 21,000 square metres to the terminal building, to support additional infrastructure, new systems and more retail offerings.

The number of automated check-in kiosks and bag-drop machines has been almost doubled, and more automated lanes have been added to the immigration halls to allow more passengers to be served at any point in time.

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

T2 is also the first terminal in Changi to have automated lanes in the arrival and departure immigration halls for those with disabilities and young children. There is also a new fully automated baggage storage system that can handle up to 2,400 bags.

Currently, 16 airlines operate out of T2, offering flights to 40 cities.

Notwithstanding the increase in capacity from the T2 expansion, the air hub has resumed work on Terminal 5, which was once disrupted by the pandemic.

Noting the important role Changi plays, Teo said that the air hub’s growth is closely interwined with Singapore’s economic success.

The aviation sector is a key pillar of Singapore’s economy, with the Changi air hub and its adjacent industries contributing more than 5 per cent of Singapore’s gross domestic product, and hiring almost 200,000 people, pre-pandemic.

“Changi will always be an integral part of the Singapore story, not only because of its economic importance, but also for the spirit of daring and drive that it represents,” said Teo, who recalled the challenges the air hub faced in building T1 and T3.