Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Expected Full Completion and Capacity of Changi Airport's Terminal 5

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     whether there are still provisions for the passenger handling capacity of Changi Airport's Terminal 5 to reach 70 million passengers a year; and 

b.     when is full completion of Terminal 5 expected.

Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran:

1.     Pre-COVID-19, we had planned for Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5) to have a handling capacity of about 50 million passengers per annum (mppa) in its initial phase, with the provision to increase to up to 70 mppa in the longer term.

2.     Due to the impact of COVID-19 on air travel, we had paused the T5 development for two years. We have since assessed that the long-term prospects for air travel remain strong, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, underpinned by rapid economic growth and a fast-growing middle class in Southeast Asia and South Asia. We have resumed work on T5, which is expected to be operational around the mid-2030s.

3.     Similar to pre-COVID-19, we are currently planning for T5 to have a handling capacity of about 50 mppa, with the design flexibility to be built in two phases, in line with traffic growth. We also retain the option to increase the capacity of T5 to up to 70 mppa in the longer term.

4.     Ultimately, we want to ensure that we have the infrastructural capacity to ride on the long-term growth of air travel and strengthen Changi Airport’s position as a regional and global air hub.