Singapore Changi Airport has been voted the World’s Best Airport at the Skytrax World Airport Awards. This is the 12th time Changi Airport has been awarded this prestigious accolade, a record number since the award was first given out in 1999. In addition to the World’s Best Airport award, Singapore Changi Airport also garnered awards for the World’s Best Airport Dining, Best Airport for Leisure Amenities, and Best Airport in Asia.
Lee Seow Hiang, chief executive officer of Changi Airport Group (CAG), said, “Changi Airport is honoured to be named World’s Best Airport for the 12th time. This recognition is great encouragement to our airport community, who stood firmly together to battle the challenges of Covid-19 over the past two years. We thank them for their dedication to serve Changi’s passengers and the perseverance to keep Singapore connected to the world. To our passengers, we are deeply grateful for your vote of confidence. Your continued support encourages us to keep pursuing service excellence as we expand our offerings to redefine the Changi Experience. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Changi Airport as we rediscover the magic of travel again.”
At present Changi Airport is linked to 16 Indian cities, including major hubs such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, with 7 airlines (Air India, Air India Express, DrukAir, IndiGo, Scoot, Singapore Airlines, and Vistara) providing approximately 241 weekly services. Apart from those visiting Singapore, Changi serves as a major transit airport for Indians travelling to Australia, the USA, Indonesia, and beyond. With India being a key market for Changi Airport, CAG has consistently focused on 360-degree marketing efforts to promote Changi through campaigns such as ‘First in Jewel’ in 2019, and ‘Chalo Changi’ in 2022.
As travel resumed, passenger traffic from India has witnessed a steady recovery with January 2023 seeing the number reaching 85% of pre-covid levels.
The Skytrax World Airport Awards reflect the views of airport customers. Each year, respondents of more than 60 nationalities take part in a global customer satisfaction survey to assess facilities and customer service across more than 550 airports. The World Airport Awards are independent of airport input and fully funded by Skytrax.
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, said, “This recognition for Changi Airport is from the airport customers and serves to underline the airport’s popularity with international air travellers. Winning this award as the World’s Best Airport is a very clear recognition of the team effort amongst all staff at the airport who contributed to Changi Airport’s success.”
Post-pandemic rebound travel from India and beyond
With the roll-back of Covid-19 measures and the return of global travel, passenger traffic at Singapore Changi Airport has recovered to about 80% of pre-Covid levels and is expected to reach 100% by 2024. Changi Airport’s top five passenger markets for 2022 were: Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Changi Airport re-opened Terminals 2 and 4 in 2022 due to strong travel demand. Terminal 4 (T4) resumed operations in September after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. As part of continuous efforts to enhance the passenger experience, Singapore Changi Airport embarked on expansion and renovation works at Terminal 2 (T2) in 2020. T2’s phased re-opening began in May 2022.
Enhanced infrastructure and passenger touchpoints for travellers
Upon completion in 2024, T2’s expansion will increase Changi Airport’s total capacity by five million passengers per annum (mppa) to 90 mppa. The project adds 15,500 square metres of space, allowing for larger Departure and Arrival Halls, and consequently, more room for operations including check-in and immigration clearance.
New leisure, dining, and retail experiences
At the same time, Changi Airport has been adding to its growing range of offerings that cater to different interests and tastes. Apart from the nature-themed attractions of Jewel, the family-friendly experiences at Changi now also include a rock-climbing attraction and a 16m-tall play structure called Chandelier. Travellers can also catch the latest blockbusters at Changi Airport’s 24-hour movie theatre which offers free movie screenings.
Dining delights representing culinary influences from around the world include the Flavours of Singapore F&B outlets showcasing local specialties and homegrown brands. Avenues for retail therapy continue to grow with the addition of more international retailers as well as exclusive designer labels. Changi Airport is also ramping up pop-up events to offer travellers exclusive promotions and the world’s first product launches.
