Construction of long-awaited Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 will start in the first half of 2025, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has revealed.
As per a report by The Straits Times, the update was provided during a speech at a dinner on 6 September celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Slated for completion in the mid 2030s, T5 will provide the opportunity to link Changi Airport to more than 200 cities globally, increased from almost 150 presently.
This, the Prime Minister said, will boost Singapore’s competitive edge given increasing competition for tourism dollars across the region.
“Some [countries] have announced plans for mega airports that can handle more than 100 million passengers a year, so they are narrowing the gap with Singapore,” The Straits Times reported Prime Minister Wong as saying.
“Many airlines are also rapidly expanding their fleets and networks, including to serve more direct routes. Increasingly, flights that would have passed through Changi may no longer be needed. We cannot rest on our laurels.”
First announced in 2013, the T5 project will increase Changi Airport’s annual capacity from 90 million to 140 million passengers.
The project was put on hold during COVID-19 with authorities tasking the opportunity to review T5’s design in order to make it more modular and enhance its resilience and sustainability.
