Expansion and renovation works at Terminal 2 (T2) of Singapore Changi Airport will start after the Chinese New Year holidays, ushering a multi-year expansion project which will increase T2’s handling capacity and replace old facilities and amenities.
The expansion project will add 15,500 square meters to the terminal building and increase Changi Airport’s capacity by five million passengers per annum (mppa), Changi Airport Group (CAG) said. This brings Changi’s total capacity to 90 mppa when the works are completed around 2024.
Last refurbished in 2006, the refreshed T2 will sport even more greenery and natural elements at every turn, in keeping with Changi’s signature garden theme in its terminals, said CAG. There will also be space added in the Departure and Arrival Halls, giving more room to airport operations such as check-in and immigration clearance. Additional retail and F&B outlets will be introduced in both the public and transit areas.
Renovation works will commence in the Departure Hall, where the check-in layout will be transformed. The refurbished T2 Departure Hall will feature a spacious common-use central Fast And Seamless Travel zone, with more automated check-in kiosks and bag drop machines. Concurrently, the existing rows of check-in counters will be transformed to better serve passengers. All in all, the passenger handling capacity in the hall will be increased by as much as 20%.
In the Departure Transit Hall, the Orchid Garden will be closed to make way for a new garden, which will “showcase a revolutionary landscape design, incorporating a plethora of new plant species for the enjoyment of passengers when it re-opens,” said CAG.
To cater for more retail and F&B offerings for passengers, the commercial spaces within the Departure Transit Hall will be increased. In addition, there will be refreshed waiting areas with more comfortable seating, relaxation zones and a new play area for children. New experiential zones will be introduced at various locations within the Departure Transit Hall to keep passengers entertained.
Meanwhile, the Departure and Arrival Immigration Halls will be expanded and reconfigured to support additional automated immigration lanes. To handle a higher volume of bags at T2, two existing baggage belts will be lengthened and another two new belts will be added, bringing the total number of baggage belts to 10. The Early Baggage Storage system will also be upgraded from semi-automated to fully automated, allowing some 2,300 bags to be stored at any time.
In the Arrival Hall, a garden-like lounge will be created, and a new cluster of F&B kiosks will offer additional quick bites options at the south end of the hall.
Tan Lye Teck, CAG’s executive vice president of airport management, said, “The expansion and renovation works will rejuvenate T2, while the upgrades in the key operating infrastructure such as the baggage handling systems will enhance the terminal’s capacity and efficiency, allowing us to serve more airlines and passengers when the works are completed.”
Image courtesy of Changi Airport Group
