Singapore's Changi Airport commenced operations in the northern wing of Terminal 2 (T2) on Thursday.
The airport opened after undergoing three and a half years of engineering and expansion efforts. The renovated terminal, boasting an additional 15,500 square metres of space, is set to be fully operational in October.
Terminal 2 was closed in May 2020, as the number of passengers drastically dropped due to the pandemic.
Over the next few weeks, stores and restaurants within the facility are scheduled to start operation as well, and the services within the northern wing of T2 are accessible for passenger use, reports The Straits Times, a Singapore daily.
Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and various Southeast Asian destinations, along with the German flag carrier Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines, initiated operations from T2's newly opened northern wing on Thursday.
In October, Air Japan, All Nippon Airways, Etihad Airways, IndiGo, and Singapore Airlines' flights to the Maldives and Nepal are scheduled to make the transition, resulting in a total of 16 airlines, an increase from 12.
Changi Airport’s overall yearly capacity is expected to climb to 90 million passengers thanks to the reopening of T2’s northern wing. On the other hand, T2’s handling capacity will go up from 23 to 28 million passengers yearly.
In August, the number of passengers at the airport was only 87% of what it used to be before the Covid-19 pandemic, reports The Straits Times.
The terminal’s southern wing reopened in phases in 2022. The work started with key touch points such as arrival immigration and baggage claim belts in May and the departure hall in October.
This step was taken to boost Changi Airport’s capacity to help more passengers.
The T2 departure hall now houses a Fast and Seamless Travel zone. It is equipped with more automated check-in kiosks and bag-drop machines.
With these new facilities, T2 has become the airport’s first terminal to have automated special assistance lanes.
The lanes allow automated immigration clearance for people who require wheelchairs, and families travelling with children.
The terminal also has a better baggage-handling system with enhanced security features. It has a fully automated early luggage storage system that stores bags checked in early before they are loaded onto departing planes.
This system can store up to 2,400 bags simultaneously.
These improvements are expected to significantly increase the efficiency of the airport staff, according to the Changi Airport Group (CAG).
The transit area also has a new bear-themed play area for children and a TV lounge with a large LED screen for passengers. Passengers would also be able to charge their electronic devices as the area has charging points.