As many COVID-19 travel restrictions are being lifted, especially in Southeast Asia, Singapore Changi Airport is slowly blowing off the pandemic dust.
But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s compare what has became the modern icon of the Singaporean transfer hub, the Jewel shopping center waterfall.
May 2019:
April 2022:
From 29 May, what some consider the world’s best airport will start a phased reopening of Terminal 2. Terminal 2 had been closed since the start of the pandemic, and will only full reopen by 2024, by which point it will be the most modern passenger terminal at the airport. Not only that, but its capacity will substantially increase, from five million passengers to nearly 28 millions passengers per year.
As for now, all that will be available is a handful of baggage claim belts, contact gates — in other words, gates that have direct access to aircraft, and arrival immigration. This will be done in part, to relieve the busier traffic seen at Terminal 3; during peak hours, some flights that have been using Terminal 3 will now process passengers at Terminal 2.
Furthermore, a SIN airport train will again connect airside passengers — those who have already passed immigration –from Terminal 3 to the southern section of Terminal 2; in other words, the other airport train serving the northern section of Terminal 2, and the Jewel shopping complex, will remain closed.
And one more thing, if your flight is leaving from Terminal 2, grab a snack first! Expect nothing more than bathrooms and smoking rooms to be available. What a combination… I suppose it’s because you don’t need much staff to join you while taking a puff.
I used to consider Singapore Changi one of my favorite airports, and I suppose it still is high on the list. Although I never liked the public transit options to it — taking the MRT (metro train) means you must transfer at least once, and having gate-side security doesn’t always work out well if you’re trying to take a drink onboard, being able to make a last-minute supermarket sweep for souvenirs is quite nifty.
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