Maximum Capacity Utilisation Rates of Changi Airport's Existing Terminals and Update on Construction of Terminal 5

1 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the number of passengers arriving at Changi Airport in 2024; (b) what are the maximum capacity utilisation rates of Changi Airport Terminals 1 to 4 respectively in 2024; and (c) whether an update can be provided on the construction of Terminal 5 in view of the capacity utilisation rates of the other terminals.

The Minister for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mr Speaker, between January and November 2024, Changi Airport handled about 61 million passengers. On an annualised basis, this is about 70% of Changi Airport’s annual handling capacity of 90 million passengers across Terminals 1 to 4.

Terminal 5 will enhance our passenger handling capacity and strengthen Singapore’s status as a leading air hub. The construction of Terminal 5 is on track to begin in the first half of 2025. When Terminal 5 is operational in the mid-2030s, it will be able to handle an additional 50 million passengers a year.

Mr Speaker: Mr Ang.

Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast): I thank the Minister for the reply. Can I ask the Minister, currently, based on the projection for the whole of 2024, will the passenger volume exceed pre-pandemic period? Secondly, does the Minister anticipate a higher volume in the coming year and if so, how is Changi Airport preparing for it? Lastly, I would like to ask the Minister, we know the Jeju Air incident is a very sad incident. Are there any lessons learnt and how are we preparing ourselves to prevent the occurrence of such an incident?

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, on Mr Ang's first question, we expect overall passenger traffic to almost reach pre-pandemic levels in 2024 and we expect it to also further increase. So, in 2025, we are very likely to exceed pre-COVID-19 levels.

Mr Ang is right that we do need to prepare for this increase in passenger volumes. If Changi does well, these passenger volumes will continue to grow. Before Terminal 5 is ready, it will have to rely on the existing handling capacity of Terminals 1 to 4.

Sir, processes are in place to prepare ourselves for this increase in demand. The Changi Airport Group will invest $3 billion over the next six years in Singapore Changi Airport Terminals 1 to 4 to improve services such as baggage handling, check in and immigration. These investments will help Changi Airport to stay competitive and to meet rising demand for air travel before Terminal 5 is operational in the mid-2030s.

The aviation workforce has also exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels. We look at aviation as a growth sector, which can provide many good jobs for Singaporeans. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is also undertaking a sectorial manpower study together with our tripartite partners to see how we can attract, retain and prepare our workers to be ready for this future growth.

Sir, Mr Ang's second question is on the Jeju Air flight 2216 incident. It is an ongoing investigation. We are very sad to learn about this incident. We convey our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. The South Korean authorities are currently doing their investigations. CAAS is in touch with their counterpart, the Korean Civil Aviation Authority, as well as the United States Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing. We will review and take the necessary preventive actions as more information about the incident becomes available.

Sir, CAAS has also checked the maintenance of relevant systems on our Boeing 737-800 aircraft – which is the same model as the aircraft that was involved in the incident – and they have found no anomalies or reliability issues.

Based on the information that is currently available, the severity of the outcome was worsened because of the presence of a concrete structure at the end of the runway. I think there are some videos on social media showing the crash and how the plane ran into this concrete wall.

Sir, I am glad to share with the House that there are no such concrete structures near runways at our airports. All equipment that are required for air navigation purposes that are located near our runways are designed to break off in the event of a collision.