Remarks by Senior Minister of State for Transport Mr Murali Pillai at the Passenger Terminal Expo Asia Opening Ceremony

The Power of Connections: Aviation in Asia

Mr Aloysius Arlando, Chairman of Asia for CloserStill Media

Mr Sopon Piyapanee, Assistant Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Transport, Thailand

Mr Peter Massey, Commercial Director for CloserStill Media

Mr Jayson Goh, Executive Vice President for Airport Management at Changi Airport Group

Excellencies and distinguished guests

Introduction

1.          Good morning, and a warm welcome to the inaugural Passenger Terminal Expo Asia. It is a pleasure to join so many leaders from across the global aviation community here in Singapore.

2.          We are gathered to talk about airport terminals, systems, and technology. But at its heart, our industry is not just about infrastructure – what we do, is the business of connecting people.

Lessons from the Past

3.          Asia's aviation story began earlier than many assume, and began modestly.

a.          Don Mueang opened in 1914, with commercial flights following a decade later. It remains one of the oldest continuously operating airports in the world, and still serves Bangkok today.

b.          In 1929, the British built a wooden aerodrome at Taiping, in Perak, one of the first airfields in Malaya. Among its earliest regular services was a flight that brought in the day's newspapers for the town.

c.           Singapore's first purpose-built civilian airport opened at Kallang in 1937, on a reclaimed mangrove swamp, with a circular grass landing field designed to take both land planes and seaplanes. Eight days after it opened, Amelia Earhart landed there on her attempt to fly around the world. She described it as an aviation miracle of the East.

d.          And in 1940, Kemayoran opened in Jakarta as the first purpose-built international airport in the region's largest archipelago, linking its cities to Southeast Asia and to Australia.

4.          By today's standards, these were small airports. Grass strips, a few flights a week, and a handful of passengers. But each represented the hunger for human connection – each of our countries did not stand alone, and we laboured to be connected with the rest of the world.

5.          As traffic grew, Governments had to choose between taking many small steps or one big one. Singapore chose one big step for man. In 1975, we decided to relocate our airport from Paya Lebar to Changi. It was a massive undertaking that required extensive reclamation, new infrastructure and the overnight transfer of airport operations. But Singapore’s future depended on connectivity.

6.          Elsewhere in Asia, big steps were also taken.

a.          Many in this room will remember Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport and its iconic checkerboard approach over Kowloon, where pilots made a dramatic turn towards the runway above the densely built-up city. But it became clear that Hong Kong needed a larger airport to support its future development, leading to the move to Chek Lap Kok.

b.          Korea made a similarly bold bet with Incheon, shifting operations from the older Gimpo Airport in 2001 to provide capacity for future growth.

c.           We witnessed this in China and in India too. Beijing Capital Airport's Terminal 3, opened ahead of the 2008 Olympics, and Delhi's Terminal 3, opened before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, reflecting the growing confidence and international ambitions of these two economies becoming increasingly connected to the world.

7.          The lesson is clear. Airports are not just built for the traffic of their day, but for the growth still to come.

8.          These decisions transformed their cities and the lives of their people. As Asian economies became more connected and integrated with the world, airports such as Changi, Chek Lap Kok and Incheon became powerful portals for tourism, trade and investment.

9.          Looking back, these decision look obvious. But in reality, they demanded vision, sustained investment, and the conviction that connectivity would create a new world that did not exist then.

Investing for the Long-Term

10.        That conviction is needed again. ICAO expects global passenger numbers to nearly triple by 2050, with Asia-Pacific accounting for a significant share. Across the region, airports are expanding, routes are launching, and governments are investing heavily.

11.        But our challenge is not the same as those of the old. For them, the central question was capacity. For us, it is not just one question but many – we must grow while contending with tighter labour markets, rising passenger expectations, greater operational uncertainty, and a shrinking carbon envelope.

12.        In this, the airport experience is key.

a.          For airlines, airport experience is a commercial consideration: it shapes turnaround times, reliability, and the cost of doing business.

b.          For passengers, the experience includes how they move through our terminals, whether they catch their connection or arrive at a meeting on time. The airport experience can also shape their impression of the city.

13.        In Singapore, the question we ask ourselves is: how do we ensure that Changi remains a trusted hub of choice for airlines and passengers alike?

What Singapore is Doing

14.        Much of what we have done, we learnt from others in this room. Let me share where we are placing our bets going ahead.

15.        First, we invest ahead of demand. Changi has grown from a single terminal in the 1980s into a four-terminal air hub with direct links to more than 170 cities today. When Terminal 5 is ready in the mid-2030s, it will add capacity for 50 million passengers per annum, supporting our ambition to connect to more than 200 cities.

16.        But increasing capacity is only one part of the story. We are also testing new technologies, services and operating concepts to make travel more seamless while enabling the airport to operate more efficiently.

a.          Self-service check-in and bag drop are now ubiquitous. Eligible travellers clear immigration using facial and iris biometrics, without needing to present a passport.

b.          Our attention has turned to baggage, which many travellers still regard as a source of inconvenience. Our aim is not simply to move bags more efficiently, but to reduce friction in the travel journey. Building on similar initiatives by airports such as Hong Kong and Incheon, we are trialling Off-Airport Check-In. By leveraging Singapore’s hotel ecosystem, eligible travellers can check-in and leave their luggage at participating hotels for transfer to their flight, bringing airport services closer to where travellers already are. Travellers can then enjoy their final day in Singapore, baggage-free, and hopefully more time for shopping as well.

c.           We are also deploying autonomous wheelchairs, which give passengers with reduced mobility greater independence, while allowing our staff to focus on those who need more assistance

d.          These initiatives will be trialled before being incorporated into Terminal 5.

Building a Sustainable Future

17.        Of the many challenges facing our generation, sustainability may be the most consequential.

18.        Demand for air travel will keep on growing. The question is whether it can grow in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.

19.        Solutions already exist. Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, and electric airside vehicles are available today. However, cost remains a critical barrier. SAF remains two to five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel. Electric airside vehicles, where available, likewise come with a price premium and require costly grid infrastructure to support them.

20.        But standing still is not an option. Decarbonisation projects often require significant investment before their technologies mature and their commercial benefits are fully realised. Waiting for uncertainties to disappear would cost us valuable time.

21.        So, a key enabler is green aviation financing, which encouragingly, is already taking shape in Asia.

a.          In Pakistan, the Asian Development Bank and International Finance Corporation are supporting a new SAF facility through blended financing and a long-term offtake agreement with Shell.

b.          Airport operators are also tapping capital markets. Airport Authority Hong Kong issued a US$1 billion green bond tranche in 2023 to finance green projects under its Sustainable Finance Framework.

c.           These examples show that sustainable aviation is not just an environmental imperative. It is increasingly an infrastructure and investment opportunity.

The Power of Collaboration

22.        We are in the business of connections, and so we must all realise that none of this can be done by any single airport, airline or government. Bringing viable solutions to scale requires a coalition of willing partners.  Governments can provide policy certainty. Airports and airlines can create demand and develop viable projects. Technology providers can keep on innovating. And financiers can mobilise capital, allocate risk and help bring promising solutions to scale.

23.        Our industry is born into connections. Global aviation grew because countries came together, agreed to abide by common rules, collective standards, and shared principles. The 1944 Chicago Convention laid the foundations for ICAO. That international framework still underpins civil aviation today. As Asia grows in the decades ahead, multilateralism must matter more, not less.

Why This Expo Matters

24.        Passenger Terminal Expo has long been the premier global platform for exchanging ideas and shaping the future of our industry. This year, for the first time, that conversation comes to Asia.

25.        This is fitting. The region that will generate the largest share of aviation's growth should not simply adopt solutions developed elsewhere. It should help shape them.

26.        In this hall are the people who actually design, build, finance and run airports. Much of what will become standard practice in the 2030s is sitting on this show floor today as a prototype.

Conclusion

27.        Let me conclude.

28.        I have spoken about how the airports that transformed Asia were built for the growth that was still to come. Our responsibility is to show the same foresight today. The conversations we have, the partnerships we form, and the investments we make will help shape how millions of people travel in the decades ahead.

29.        Singapore is honoured to host the inaugural Passenger Terminal Expo Asia and be a part of these conversations.

30.        The next two days is a meeting of minds – of all of us, who, saw and believed in the transformative power of aviation, and of determination, cooperation and long-term commitment.

31.        Aviation transformed Asia of the past, and from this history, we will shape the transformation of our future. Thank you.