8-1-2025 (SINGAPORE) Singapore’s ambitious expansion of Changi Airport is set to proceed as planned, with construction of its fifth terminal (T5) beginning in the first half of 2025, Transport Minister and Second Finance Minister Xu Fangda announced in Parliament yesterday.
The mega-terminal, slated for completion in the mid-2030s, will boost the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity by 50 million, marking a significant milestone in Singapore’s aviation infrastructure development.
Speaking during Wednesday’s parliamentary session, Minister Xu revealed that Changi Airport welcomed approximately 61 million passengers between January and November 2024, representing roughly 70% of the airport’s current annual capacity of 90 million passengers across its four existing terminals.
The minister also addressed safety concerns following the recent Jeju Air incident in South Korea. He confirmed that the Civil Aviation Administration has conducted comprehensive inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft in Singapore’s fleet, with no abnormalities detected.
In a notable safety observation, Xu highlighted that unlike the South Korean airport where the Jeju Air aircraft collided with a concrete wall at the runway’s end – contributing to the severity of casualties – Changi Airport’s runway design deliberately excludes such structural obstacles.
