Changi Airport is Singapore's primary international airport and a major aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the commercial airports in Singapore, the other being Seletar Airport. Since the rankings for the World's Best Airport by Skytrax began in 1999, the airport was classified as the world's best twelve times, including for eight consecutive years from 2013 to 2021.
The infrastructure of Changi Airport includes passenger terminals, runways, taxiways, maintenance buildings and services, and ground support equipment. Its four current passenger terminals can handle 82 million passengers a year. When Terminal 5 is completed, it is expected to handle an additional 50 million passengers per year.
The airport is located approximately east north-east of the city's commercial centre, on a site on the easternmost point of Singapore Island.
Background Given limited land resources in Singapore, Singapore Changi Airport was developed on reclaimed land on the eastern part of the island. As the country's primary international airport, it was designed for current needs and future expansion to double its passenger handling. Land can further be reclaimed from the sea for more runways and terminal buildings.
The master plan initially involved a dual-terminal and dual-runway configuration over two phases, with provisions for another two passenger terminals. Phase 1 included the construction of Terminal 1, the first runway, 45 aircraft parking bays, support facilities and structures, including a large maintenance hangar, the first fire station, workshops and administrative offices, an airfreight complex, two cargo agents' buildings, in-flight catering kitchens, and an control tower. Phase 2 construction commenced immediately after the completion of phase 1. It included the construction of Terminal 2, the second runway, 23 additional aircraft parking bays, a second fire station, and a third cargo agents' building.
Control tower
The air traffic control tower (ATC) was constructed in phase 1, sited in between the first two runways and stands at about 81 m above mean sea level (AMSL). It provides aerodrome control service to aircraft landing, departing and maneuvering within the airport.
Runways Changi Airport started off with a single runway (02/20). After phase 2 was completed, it had two parallel runways of size each, designated 02L/20R and 02R/20L. 02L/20R was completed in 1981 with a displaced threshold of leaving the rest of the runway at long. 02C/20C (formerly named 02R/20L) was built completely on reclaimed land and opened with phase 2, to the east of 02L/20R. Four instrument landing systems (ILS) are installed on the two runways to guide landing aircraft safely under all weather conditions. Both runways are also used by the Republic of Singapore Air Force as part of Changi Airbase.
A new parallel runway 02R/20L (named 01/19 when it was opened in 2004) was built to the east of 02C/20C. It was used only by the Republic of Singapore Air Force as part of Changi Air Base. Originally at a length of 2.75 km, it has been lengthened to 4 km to handle larger commercial passenger aircraft. Almost 40 km of new taxiways were built to connect the runway with the main airport. New facilities such as navigation aids, airfield lighting systems and a fire station were included.
+ Runway information, radio navigation & landing aids Runway name Runway direction Magnetic heading Type of surface Length (m) Width (m) Instrument landing systemname(IDENT) Frequencies (MHz) ILS categories for precision approach and landing Users Land Depart Instrument landing system localizer(ILS-LLZ) Instrument landing system glide path(ILS-GP) Instrument landing system distance measuring equipment(ILS-DME) Commercial Military 02L/20R 02L 023.02° Grooved Bituminous concrete 4,000 4,000 60 ICW 110.90 330.80 CH46X CAT II 20R 203.02° 3,260 ICH 108.90 329.30 CH26X CAT I 02C/20C 02C 023.02° Bituminous concrete 4,000 4,000 60 ICE 108.30 334.10 CH20X CAT II 20C 203.02° ICC 109.70 333.20 CH34X CAT II 02R/20L 02R 023.01° Grooved Bituminous concrete 4,000 4,000 60 ICX 110.50 329.60 CH42X CAT II 20L 203.01° ICZ 108.55 329.75 CH22Y CAT II
Air traffic service communication facilities
+ Air traffic service communication facilities Service designation Call sign Frequencies (MHz) Hours of operation (SST) Remarks Air Control Center (ACC) Singapore Radar 124.050 0000-1530 Flow control service: arrival & departure aircraft 133.250 24 hr – 7-day North 134.400 24 hr – 7-day South 123.700 24 hr – 7-day East 134.200 24 hr – 7-day South-east Approach (APP) Singapore Changi Arrival 119.300 24 hr – 7-day Intermediate & final approach Singapore Changi Approach 120.300 24 hr – 7-day Intermediate approach Tower (TWR) Singapore Changi Control Tower 118.250 0000-1600 Runway 02C/20C 118.600 24 hr – 7-day All departures (takeoff) & arrivals (landing) 0000-1600 Runway 02L/20R Singapore Changi Ground Movement Control 121.725 0000-1700 Aircraft east of Terminal 2 2100-0000 121.850 0000-1800 Aircraft north of Terminal 1 2300-0000 124.300 1600-0000 Start-up/push-back/taxiing of all aircraft 0000-1600 Aircraft west of Terminal 3 Singapore Delivery 121.650 24 hr – 7-day Pre-flight check/ATC clearance Singapore Changi Apron 121.900 24 hr – 7-day Vehicular movements on taxiways and runways
Airport hotel
The Crowne Plaza Changi Airport hotel, designed by WOHA, is linked to Changi Airport Terminal 3, with Terminals 1 and 2 reachable by Skytrain located within the immediate vicinity of Changi Airport. It is nine storeys high and has 320 guest rooms. A 10-storey extension was completed in 2016, increasing the total number of rooms to 563. In 2024, the hotel was named the world's best airport hotel by Skytrax for the ninth year running.
Airbus A380 operations
With Changi-based Singapore Airlines being the launch customer for the Airbus A380, works to ensure full capability in handling the large aircraft were given priority in time for its introduction in October 2007. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore spent S$60 million in upgrading the two existing terminals and airport infrastructure, including enlarged gate hold rooms, new finger piers, and extended baggage belt carousels from the normal . With these new carousels in place, the airport does not expect embarking and disembarking passengers and baggage from the A380 to take longer than it does from a Boeing 747-400, which carries fewer passengers. On 16 August 2005, Changi Airport unveiled the first of 11 specially built gates capable of handling the giant aircraft. Costing S$15 million, the gates or 'fingers' enable passengers to board the upper deck of the new 555-seater aircraft directly from the gate hold rooms. The hold rooms themselves have been enlarged and appointed to cater to the larger number of passengers aboard an A380. Beside the 11 new A380-capable gates at Terminals 1 and 2, eight more A380-capable gates were opened at Terminal 3 on 9 January 2008.
Jewel Changi Airport
Announced in August 2013, Jewel is a new terminal structure that is intended as a mixed-use complex. It is situated on a 3.5-hectare site where the Terminal 1 car park used to reside. Jewel is a joint venture between Changi Airport (51%) and CapitaMalls Asia (49%). Essentially, a new multi-storey underground car park of about 2,500 car park spaces replace the existing facilities, while an indoor garden (with a waterfall) is built above. The new building sits between the three existing terminal buildings, enabling passengers to transfer via the new complex, whilst being an attraction and shopping destination in itself. The design consists of a circular structure, reminiscent of a doughnut, with a large garden and located at the centre is the HSBC Rain Vortex. There is also a hotel of about 130 rooms as part of the project.
As part of the project, Terminal 1 is expanded to allow more space for the arrival hall, baggage claim areas, and taxi bays. These enhancements increases T1's passenger handling capacity to 24 million passenger movements per annum by 2018. It opened on 17 April 2019.
Passenger terminals Changi Airport currently has four terminals, T1, T2, T3, and T4, with a total passenger annual handling capacity of 90 million. Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are directly connected via a people mover system, with airside passengers being able to freely move between the terminals without going through immigration. Transport within and between these three terminals is also provided by people movers and the skytrain system, although it is also possible to walk between the terminals on foot for airside visitors.
A former Budget Terminal, capable of handling 7 million passengers per year, was purpose-built for low-cost carriers. It was physically separated from the main terminals towards the south, where connections were possible via a free shuttle bus service to and from Terminal 2. Demolition began in 2013 to make way for a new and bigger Terminal 4.
+ Passenger infrastructure Terminal Opened Floor area Handling capacity Parking bays Terminal 1 (operational) (official) 24 million passengers 29 (aerobridge)16 (remote) Terminal 2 (operational) (official) 28 million passengers 35 (aerobridge)11 (remote) JetQuay (CIP Terminal) (operational) (official) N/A 0 Terminal 3 (operational) (official) 22 million passengers 28 (aerobridge)15 (remote) Terminal 4 (operational) (official) 16 million passengers 21 (aerobridge)8 (remote) Terminal 5 (groundbreaking) TBC (operational) TBC 50 million passengers 49 (aerobridge) TBC (remote) Jewel Changi Airport (operational) (official) 3 million passengers Total 90 million passengers 162 (aerobridge)50 + TBC (remote)
+ Closed passenger infrastructure Terminal Opened Closed Floor area Handling capacity Parking bays Former Budget Terminal (operational) (official) 7 million passengers 10 (contact)
Terminal 1
Singapore Changi Airport's oldest terminal operated as the sole terminal from the stroke of midnight on 1 July 1981, right up until the opening of Terminal 2 nine years later. The first flight, Singapore Airlines SQ101 touched down that day at 07:10:00 Singapore Time with 140 passengers from Kuala Lumpur. Configured in an H-shaped layout to maximise the number of aerobridges that could be built, it underwent two major upgrading works over its lifespan. Takenaka Corporation served as the primary contractor.
A major refurbishment was completed in 1995 for S$170 million, and work to extend two finger piers to add 14 aerobridges at a cost of S$420 million that took place from 1996 to 1999. Today, the terminal spans an area of 308,000 m2 and can accommodate a maximum passenger capacity of 21 million passengers a year.
On 7 March 2012, Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said that the open-air car park between Terminal 1 and Changi's iconic control tower will be redeveloped into a multi-use complex. This new complex will be integrated with the existing building, and will increase Terminal 1's public areas, pick-up driveways, and car park spaces. With this expansion, Terminal 1's handling capacity will increase from 21 to 24 million passengers per annum. The expansion of Terminal 1 will go together with Terminal 4.
As of 12 July 2012, a S$500 million facelift for Terminal 1 has been completed, completing the terminal's largest renovation to date, involving works on its facade and halls under a theme called "Tropical City". About 22,000 m2 have been added to the building, bringing the total floor space of T1 to about 308,000 m2. The larger floor area provides for more spatial comfort, better passenger flow, additional facilities and expanded retail and F&B offerings. The refurbishment includes the installation of a two-part kinetic sculpture, Kinetic Rain, which was billed as the largest kinetic sculpture in the world.