PM Lawrence Wong at the Changi Airport Terminal 5 Groundbreaking Ceremony

My Cabinet colleague Minister Chee Hong Tat
CAG Chairman and CEO
Colleagues from the Singapore Aviation family
Ladies and gentlemen

Good afternoon and I am very happy to join all of you today to break ground finally for Changi Terminal 5.

It is a very significant milestone in our aviation journey.

And I am glad that we are doing it in this SG60 year.   

Because the Changi story is very much a reflection of the Singapore story – it is a story where we continue to defy the odds, exceed all expectations, and keep on striving to reach greater heights.  

The Changi Story

Changi nearly did not happen. 

We used to operate from Paya Lebar Airport.

In the 70s, when Paya Lebar Airport was straining to accommodate the growing air traffic.

Consultants came along and they recommended expanding Paya Lebar and building a second runway there.

They said that relocating to Changi would be too expensive. 

They doubted that there would be enough demand for air travel to justify the move.

Particularly at a time when the world was still feeling the impact of the 1973 oil crisis.

So expanding Paya Lebar Airport was the preferred, more cost-effective option at that time. Luckily, we decided on a different path.

Not that consultants are always wrong, sometimes they give good recommendations.

But in this case, and indeed if you just look at numbers alone, if you just look at cost-benefit ratios, I would imagine expanding Paya Lebar would be a more prudent choice, an easier decision to make.

But luckily, we decided on taking a different path. Our pioneers made the bold decision at that time to move to Changi and to build Changi.

They had the foresight to think not just one or two years but decades ahead.

They anticipated that demand for air travel would grow.

And that Changi would provide more space, it was a better location for us to build a new airport.

And that is why we proceeded with Changi and generations of Singaporeans have since been part of this Changi story.  

We have continued to expand and upgrade Changi, now to its current four terminals.

We have reimagined what the airport could be, with Jewel.

And we have been through ups and downs in this journey, including going through the darkest days of Covid and emerging stronger together now.

So like Singapore, this improbable nation we have, Changi too has defied the odds to thrive and succeed, beyond all expectations.

In the process, Changi has also transformed Singapore. 

It has connected our small island nation to the world, and brought the world to Singapore.

And this connectivity has powered our growth as an air hub, driving industries like tourism, aerospace, and logistics.

The aviation ecosystem now contributes 5% of our GDP, and creates and sustains many good jobs for Singaporeans. 

It has also enabled homegrown brands like CAG, SIA and SATS to soar globally.  

Changi has also become a source of pride for all of us in Singapore.

It has been named the world’s best airport by Skytrax again last month – it is the only airport in the world to receive this award 13 times.

It is not just clean and efficient and a means for air travel, it is also an attraction in its own right.

Many people have contributed to the success of Changi Airport, many of you are here today. Thank you all for your contributions and hard work.

Of course, we can never be complacent about our achievements. We cannot presume that our success can continue just on its own.

Because we know that the global economic is uncertain, it has become more unpredictable. 

Notwithstanding recent positive steps you read in the news between America and China. We know that uncertainties remain overall.  

And you cannot rule out the possibility of a larger global slowdown.

Competition is also sharpening – other countries are investing significantly in modernising their airport infrastructure and in adjacent infrastructure like airport cities.

Singapore must continue to work hard, we must remain connected to the world and we must ensure our air hub stays competitive.

That is why we are making another bold move in Changi, with this groundbreaking for Terminal 5. 

T5 and Beyond

T5 has been in the making for quite some time. 

We know that over the longer term, air travel is on a rising trajectory, and the bulk of the growth will take place here in the Asia-Pacific region.  

And so we announced T5 way back in 2013, and we started planning the preparatory works soon after. 

But we had to pause our plans because of Covid, and we made use of that time, that downtime, to refresh, to update our plans, to do value engineering, to see how we can do further finetuning.

Today, we are, as I said just now, finally ready to restart the works.  What can you expect in T5? 

First and foremost, it will be a mega terminal.

In terms of land area, T5 will be as big as all our current terminals combined.

It will expand Changi’s current capacity by more than 50%.

And allow us to serve about 50 million more passengers annually.

And we will make good use of this additional capacity.

Currently, SIA Group’s flights are split across the three terminals of Changi Airport’s as all of you know.  

These flights can now be consolidated at T5, reducing transit and transfer time for passengers.

So T5 will be the new home for SIA Group.

And there will be space for other carriers to grow their fleets at T5 and across Changi.

With more flights, and hopefully more carriers at Changi, we can grow our network of connections.

Now, Changi has around 170 city links, and the number is growing.

And with T5, we will be able to reach our target of reaching more than 200 city links by the mid-2030s.

T5 is not just about size.

It will be a smart terminal.

It will incorporate state-of-the-art airport systems, and automate passenger-facing and back-end functions like baggage-handling processes.

It will leverage intelligent systems and data to optimise efficiency, safety as well as the passenger experience.

T5 will be a sustainable terminal.

We will use smart building management systems, with AI-optimised air-conditioning, intelligent lighting, and hybrid cooling systems.

We will power it with more clean energy. 

The team is studying the feasibility of installing a solar system on its roof. And if that happens, it will be the largest rooftop system in Singapore.

And of course, T5 will be a connected terminal. 

It will be connected from one end to another, and to the rest of Changi.

Because the terminal is so large, we will put in extra effort to simplify the wayfinding experience. 

There will be an Automated People Mover system to bring passengers directly from T5’s arrival gates to the immigration halls.

And because Changi Airport itself will double in land size, we will make sure T5 remains connected to the other terminals via this Automated People Mover network. 

This will provide a more seamless connection experience across all the terminals in Changi, and allow Changi to operate as a more integrated airport.

T5 will also be better connected to the rest of Singapore.

There will be a dedicated ground transportation centre to bring together all the transfer options for passengers, be it car, taxi, MRT or bus.

The Thomson-East Coast Line will be extended to bring passengers directly from T5 to the city centre, and vice versa. 

We are also working to extend the Cross Island Line to connect T5 to new hubs in Singapore like the Jurong Lake District as well as the Punggol Digital District.

There will be new possibilities for travel beyond Singapore.

Through the Thomson-East Coast Line, we can connect T5 to the upcoming JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System or RTS Link terminal at Woodlands North.

And because T5 will be closer to the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, we can also explore seamless air-sea transfers to destinations in neighbouring countries.

Beyond the airport itself, T5 is also part of the wider Changi East development.  There are two other major areas here in this Changi East development. 

The first is the Changi East Industrial Zone

This will increase Singapore’s air cargo handling capacity significantly. 

And it will strengthen our attractiveness as an integrated logistics hub, and reinforce our status as a competitive and vibrant air hub.

The second is Changi East Urban District

This a new lifestyle and business hub located right at the doorstep of T5.

Concept planning for this is underway.

We are studying how to create new spaces for international visitors and Singaporeans to connect, work, and play.

Your T5

T5 will be a multi-year project, spanning multiple terms of government.   

And it will bring many more opportunities for Singaporeans.

The construction itself is a significant, complex engineering project, and our local businesses will have the opportunity to participate in this process. Some already are involved in the ongoing works.

And when T5 is operational, there will be more demand for services and workers, both in the airport as well as in other industries which will grow together with it.

This will provide more jobs for Singaporeans, requiring new skillsets in new areas like data science, robotics, and sustainability.   

We are making this bold move to keep Changi ahead –

Because, like our forefathers who chose to build Changi, we dare to dream big, and to aim high today.

Because we are planning for the longer term.

Because we have built up the resources we need to invest in this project and to turn our plans into reality.

Most of all, we have confidence in making this bold move because of our people.  

Because we have a capable, dedicated and resilient aviation community – all of you here today.

Working together as one aviation family.

You are always striving to do better, to excel and to make Singapore a vibrant air hub.

You are the secret sauce behind Changi’s success; so I say to all of you, keep up the good work, and may your spirit continue burning brightly and take Changi Airport and Singapore aviation to even greater heights!

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