Prime Minister Lee officially opens Changi Airport Terminal 3

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was at Changi Airport to officially open Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 (T3) on July 25, 2008.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was at Changi Airport to officially open Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 (T3) on July 25, 2008. This marks a significant milestone for Changi Airport and Singapore’s aviation history. Into its sixth month since commencing scheduled flight operations on January 9, 2008, T3 has kicked-off to a smooth start in its terminal operations. More than five million passengers have passed through the terminal which currently handles more than 900 weekly scheduled flights. With T3 onboard, Changi Airportโ€™s passenger movements for the first six months of 2008 continued to soar, registering a 5.4% year-on-year growth to hit 18.7 million passengers. 943,791 tons of airfreight were processed in the same period, representing a year-on-year growth of 3.6%.

T3 brings to fruition the 3-terminal Changi masterplan which was first developed in the seventies. For the past 30 years, Changi Airport has gone through several stages of development to grow its handling capacity ahead of growth in air traffic. Terminal 1 commenced operations in 1981 followed by Terminal 2 in 1990. T3’s ground breaking was held in 2000, with construction of the terminal commencing in 2002. Following the completion of its construction in 2007, T3 went through intensive testing and trials before opening for operations on 9 January 2008.

To celebrate T3’s official opening, CAAS is organizing a 66-days “Terminal 3 Celebration” shopping promotion from July 25 – September 28, 2008. Those who spend at any of the 230 retail and 110 food & beverage outlets at the airport stand to win air tickets on Singapore Airlines A380 suites to Tokyo, London and Sydney, an Audi A5 3.2FSI Quattro Coupe or a luxury cruise vacation on Queen Victoria. Other instant prizes to be won during the shopping promotion include Changi Airport shopping vouchers and T3 commemorative collectibles.

To commemorate T3’s official opening, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has launched a set of coins. The coins capture the vibrant atmosphere of T3 and showcase the eco-friendly features of the building. The coin design reflects the new terminal’s dynamic environment – the thoughtful integration of nature’s wonders with state-of-the-art technology to create a relaxing and refined ambience for travelers.

As of July 1, 2008, there are 79 airlines operating over 4,400 weekly scheduled flights at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to 189 cities in 59 countries.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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