Terminal 5 is expected to break ground soon with construction expected to finish in the mid-2030s. Credit: Changi Airport.

Singapore Changi Airport will commence construction of a major new terminal building in the first half of next year according to the country’s prime minister. 

The new Terminal 5 building would increase capacity at the airport by 50 million passengers a year and allow airlines to add more than 50 destinations to the airport’s offering by the mid-2030s.

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Singaporean Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong said the expansion of the aviation industry in other Asian nations could prove a threat to the country’s growth as a mid-point for many long-haul international flights.

He said: “Some have announced plans for mega airports that can handle more than 100 million passengers a year, so they are narrowing the gap with Singapore. Many airlines are also rapidly expanding their fleets and networks, including to serve more direct routes.

“Increasingly, flights that would have passed through Changi may no longer be needed, so we must continue to sharpen our competitive edge and develop new advantages to set us apart.”

The beginning of construction on the new terminal would mark a significant step forward for the project, which has been in the works since 2013 but has had a slow journey to opening, including a two-year pause on its development during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

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The Singaporean Government had previously said construction would begin in 2025 but the PM’s comments at an anniversary dinner for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) mark the strongest commitment yet to breaking ground on the project.

Terminal 5 is part of a wider project expanding the airport’s facilities known as Changi East, which includes the development of a three-runway system, new landside and aviation support facilities, and the creation of a smart air cargo hub. 

PM Wong also said CAAS was hoping to make it easier for airlines to operate in its airspace by working with foreign air navigation services to allow international airlines to plan routes freely within designated airspace instead of being forced to fly along air highways.