Singapore to invest S$1 billion in Changi air hub, beyond S$5 billion fund top-up in Budget 2025
CAAS will invest the additional sum over the next five years
SINGAPORE will invest S$1 billion over the next five years to support the development of Changi air hub, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat at his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate on Wednesday (Mar 5).
This is separate from Budget 2025’s S$5 billion top-up to the Changi Airport Development Fund. It was set up for the expansion of the airport, including Terminal 5, which is expected to open in the mid-2030s and increase Changi’s capacity by more than 50 per cent.
Replying to parliamentarians who asked about enhancing Singapore’s air competitiveness, Chee said that the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will invest S$1 billion to improve connections to other cities and enhance aviation infrastructure, technology and manpower.
As a key air hub in the Asia-Pacific, Singapore is “well-placed to ride the winds of growth” as global passenger volumes are set to double in the next two decades, with the region driving more than half of this growth, the transport minister said.
CAAS will work with economic agencies and the industry to increase air links to more than 200 cities by the mid-2030s, from around 160 currently.
It will plan, coordinate and provide funding support for new air hub infrastructure, as well as develop a 10-year aviation technology road map to guide planning and research. CAAS will also work with aviation companies and unions to upgrade skills and design jobs to attract and retain local workers.
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Chee also elaborated on how Singapore will improve its air cargo hub.
Sats , the largest cargo handler at Changi Airport, will invest S$100 million over the next two years to upgrade terminals at the Changi Airfreight Centre. This will increase cargo handling capacity by 30 per cent to three million tonnes a year.
Later this year, CAAS and Changi Airport Group will roll out digital truck dock slot pre-booking, which could reduce trucks’ dwell time by up to a third.
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