Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently announced that Singapore will build a new terminal that will double the capacity of Changi Airport in a bid to retain its edge as a regional aviation hub.
In his annual policy speech Lee said: “Construction work will begin soon and will be completed in 12 to 15 years. T5 (Terminal 5) sounds like a terminal, but it is actually a whole airport by itself, as big as today’s Changi Airport. The question is do we want to stay this vibrant hub of Southeast Asia, or do we want to let somebody take over our position, our business and our jobs?”
Lee said the project would include a third runway that would double the capacity of Changi Airport, which handled 51.2 million passengers in 2012 and currently has a total capacity of 66 million passengers a year.
He noted that Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport are planning to expand. As of 1 January, 2013, the airport handled more than 6500 weekly scheduled flights with 110 airlines connecting Singapore to 240 cities in 60 countries.