By Nikki De Guzman:
Transport
Minister Lui Tuck Yew revealed yesterday that the government is looking
to develop a fifth airport terminal in the country, in order to handle
rising demand in the aviation sector.
Speaking at the Changi
Airline Awards, he said that 2012 was a record-breaking year for the
industry, with passenger traffic growing by 10 percent to break the 50
million mark for the first time.
“This achievement is all the
more impressive if you consider that we passed the 40 million passengers
mark only two years ago in 2010.”
But he also highlighted some challenges, like the setting up of a planning committee to help resolve issues.
“As
you are aware, the inter-agency Changi 2036 Steering Committee chaired
by Minister of State Josephine Teo has been working hard to develop the
long-term master plan for Changi Airport, including a Terminal 5. The
Committee expects to announce the details by the end of this year.”
At
the same time, there are plans to increase capacity at the upcoming
Terminal 4 which will be designed to ensure quick flight turnarounds in
line with the low-cost carrier model, as well as handle short-haul
flights of full-service carriers. This project is set to be completed in
2017.
The Minister noted that when both terminals are up and
running, Changi Airport will be able to handle 85 million passengers
every year, “providing enough room for airlines’ growth this decade”.
Image: Changi Airport Terminal 1
Nikki De Guzman, Junior Reporter at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories email nikki@propertyguru.com.sg
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