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SINGAPORE: Singapore's Changi Airport registered good passenger growth in the first half of this year.
It welcomed 18.7 million passengers during that period, a 5.4 per cent increase from the same period last year.
The numbers were released at the official opening of the airport's newest Terminal 3.
Six months since the terminal started operations, 5 million passengers have passed through its gates.
The terminal currently handles more than 900 weekly scheduled flights including Singapore Airline's A380 jumbo jet.
Overall, Terminal 3 has a total passenger capacity of 22 million a year. This represents about a third of Changi Airport's total passenger handling capacity including the Budget Terminal for low-cost carriers.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at the official opening of Terminal 3 on Friday, said planning for the terminal started in the 1970s and it is this foresight that enabled Changi to expand over the years in a systematic manner.
Today, the airport holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans.
"Changi Airport is probably the only airport in the world which students flock to during exams in search of a cool and pleasant place to study, and I think it's one of the few airports where wedding couples come and take pictures," said Mr Lee.
Not everything, though, can be planned.
Mr Lee cited the growth of low-cost carriers and how Changi reacted swiftly, building the Budget Terminal within eight months.
The move has paid off. Low-cost carriers contributed some 11.5 per cent of passenger traffic at Changi Airport and 47 per cent of its net growth in traffic.
Terminal 3 was 30 years in the making and already plans are underway for a fourth airport terminal in Singapore.
Prime Minister Lee said that moving ahead, Changi Airport needs to stay nimble and focused to face challenges like rising fuel cost for airlines and competition from other airports.
Part of the strategy is the corporatisation of Changi Airport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Mr Lee said this is a major step forward to enable Changi to react faster to new needs.
He also paid tribute to the staff, in what could be seen as a move to allay fears of possible layoffs as a result of the corporatisation exercise.
Mr Lee said: "We will not forget the importance of the people who make Changi Airport work so well. It's not the bricks and mortar, it is not the lights or the architecture, it's the people, the team.
"We have a very special team and we will do our utmost to take good care of them, both during and after the corporatisation process."
The Transport Ministry will announce details of the corporatisation exercise "soon", said Prime Minister Lee.
- CNA/ir
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