BASED ON THE TRIP HE TOOK

THROUGH THE AIRPORT

What began as a bothersome stumble became an entirely enjoyable experience thanks to the clear efforts that the Changi Airport Group have put into keeping their benchmark product at the very height of efficiency and ease.

Some background to set the scene: Singapore based, air hub, Changi Airport Group Pte Ltd was formed on 16 June 2009 and the corporatisation of Singapore Changi Airport followed on 1 July 2009. As the company managing Changi Airport, CAG undertakes key functions focusing on airport operations and management, development, commercial activities and airport emergency services.

As the world’s most awarded airport, having garnered

Changi Airport Group

Earlier this year my wife and I were able to take a well-deserved break and fly to Asia for a long overdue holiday, the details of which are unimportant. Commonly an article about a holiday would be focussed on the holiday however I am writing this piece to let you know about the spectacular experience we encountered right at the start while our flight was delayed due to a delay with an overseas airport.

Slide @ T3

Changi Airport Group

more than 400 accolades since it opened in 1981 everything is tailored around the needs of the passenger. To serve them and visitors from the world over, there are over 330 retail stores and 120 F&B outlets across the airport’s three terminals.

Known for our discerning tastes my wife and I found one of the most impressive things to be the stark contrast in styles of Changi Airport compared to the British and European counterparts. It was remarkably easy to forget that we were in an airport at all - instead we lost ourselves within the expansive mall-styled shopping centre and wandered through their newly erected tranquillity gardens. This is of particular relevance because I find it very difficult to get agitated when surrounded by nature and I’m certain that this garden area has managed to sooth many passengers with fears of flying or anger at having been unlucky enough to have a delayed flight.

In fact, the numbers speak for themselves. Changi Airport registered its highest number of passengers for the month of October where over 4 million movements recorded last month which is 10% higher than the same period last year. Concurrently, Changi handled 27 600 flight movements and passenger traffic to and from the Middle East and continued its upward trend with the region contributing double-digit growth every month this year.

Xperience Lounge @ T2

Changi Airport Group

This increase of local traffic and the rising numbers of traffic to and from areas such as Southeast and Northeast Asia and Southwest Pacific accentuates Changi Airport’s status as a major Asia-Pacific air hub. As of the 1st November 2012, Changi Airport has become connected to 230 cities in 60 countries and serves more than 100 airlines operating some 6,400 weekly flights with a flight taking off every 100 seconds.

Efficiency has a remarkably effect on people and is palatable in the atmosphere and although the airport floor is very crowded with people there is a smooth flow of traffic that suggests everything has been carefully planned out for this very purpose. Of course, a lot of this falls to the businesses upon the airport floor that are there to attract the attention and imaginations of the travellers. My wife and

I spent a great deal of time in the Indian Jewellers where I found the service to be especially prevalent to keeping her mood intact as she sampled the many fine pendants on offer.

What I especially enjoyed was the person-to-person approach that this store had, a cheerful smile and a helpful attitude is something that is sometimes lacking in other areas but it’s true that every smile you receive improves your day just that little bit more.

To maintain their position as a leader in their region, an attitude of continuous improvement and development drives this organisation.

“Changi Recommends” is now available at every terminal with the opening of its third outlet at Terminal 1’s Arrival Hall. Changi Recommends offers exclusive deals for the best experiences in Singapore which my wife found particularly handy when it came to re-planning our holiday. Visitors to Singapore can also conveniently purchase open-top sightseeing bus tickets and tour packages from the City Sightseeing counters at the Arrival Halls of Terminals 2 and 3.

As we were going to be looping back through Singapore on the tail end of our journey we made full use of the innovative products that Changi have made available to simplify the process of airport travel. In September 2010, the original iChangi app for smartphones was launched and since has become hugely popular with Changi’s passengers and visitors. Cited as the “must-have” app in Singapore the app has been downloaded close to a million times, with an average of more than a million uses each month. The app that we were using was the enhanced, iChangi HD application for the iPad which was released on the 15th October 2012. This provided my wife and I with all the details of our travel, terminal maps and information about Changi’s retail outlets and food and beverage eateries.

For the very first time, this app comes with 360-degree visuals of popular facilities and attractions at the airport. As an updated and improved version of the original app this one leverages the iPad’s wider screen size and offers improved visual quality and enhanced functionality for users. Josephine found a handy YouTube video on how to use it. Mr Steve Lee, Chief Information Officer, Changi Airport Group, was quoted on saying: “We have designed the iChangi HD app to meet the needs of a technologically-savvy audience with sophisticated needs. Changi’s airport maps, an important feature commonly used by passengers, have been enhanced on this app to provide more detail that is easy-on-the eye. Real-time flight data displayed in various easy-to-use formats is also a new feature and with push notification functionality, passengers are kept up-to-date with the latest flight information. Besides passengers, airport visitors will find the app useful too, with more detailed information about travel deals and retail and dining promotions.”

“With the enhanced features of this app, we aim to provide passengers with the best airport experience, one that is personalised, stress-free and positively surprising. Innovative offerings such as the iChangi HD app augment the Changi Experience, which is already well-served by the range of first-class airport facilities and amenities for our passengers and airport visitors,” said Mr Lee.

You can download the app here.Orchid Garden @ T2

Endeavour Magazine • January 2013 •

Koi Pond @T3

Changi Airport Group

The various attractions, distractions and must-sees at Changi Airport include five thematic gardens, movie theatres, free Wi-Fi and Internet kiosks, a variety of retail outlets and eateries and a rooftop swimming pool!

In July 2012, they marked a new milestone for Terminal 1 (T1), the Grand Dame with upgrading works for their oldest terminal finally being completed.

Started in May 2008, this S$500 million T1 upgrading project has given the terminal a fresh and rejuvenated look. Works were carried out to refurbish the terminal’s interior design and finishes, as well as improve passenger flow at key areas such as the Departure Check-in Hall, Departure Transit Mall and Arrival Hall. About 22,000 sqm have also been added to the building, bringing the total floor space of T1 to about 308,000 sqm. The larger floor area provides for more spatial comfort, better passenger flow, additional facilities and expanded retail and F&B offerings.

Developed on the thematic concept of a ‘Tropical City’, the upgraded T1 reflects Singapore’s reputation as a garden city. Improvements to the façade and terminal facilities were done with the aim of improving the overall experience for passengers.

Changes were made to the layout of the terminal, with the introduction of better way finding elements. Added to this,

higher ceilings, improved lighting, wider thoroughfares and thoughtful landscaping have all contributed to a high quality experience that is synonymous with the Changi Experience.

A major challenge facing the project engineers was to carry out the upgrading even as T1 remained operational. This meant that works had to be done in phases during the four-year period to accommodate the different operational requirements of the terminal’s users. A total of 1.5 million man-hours were utilised during the project and at its peak, 385 workers could be found onsite at the terminal, toiling round the clock.

A highlight of the revamped Departure Check-in Hall is the addition of the world’s largest kinetic art sculpture. Known as Kinetic Rain, this sculpture is made up of a total of 1,216 bronze droplets, moving in synchrony to a specially choreographed dance every day.

Future plans include more developments to the existing open-air car park fronting T1 into an aviation-related mixed-use complex, this project will increase the handling capacity by 14% to 24 million passengers per annum. As part of this project, some of the public areas of the T1 building will be expanded, allowing for more space for aviation facilities such as the baggage claim hall, arrival hall, car park and taxi bays.

The needs of today’s travellers have evolved and it is

Rooftop swimming pool @ T1

Changi Airport Group

important for Changi Airport to keep up-to-date with these changes in order to remain relevant to passengers. Hence, the mixed-use complex will host facilities for travel segments such as fly-cruise and fly-coach which are increasingly popular.

“Focus on heartware too,” Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer, Changi Airport Group said, “Terminal 1 holds a special place in the hearts of many Singaporeans given its long history. We are pleased to have retained its heritage while preparing it for the contemporary ambience and improved facilities, passengers and visitors will continue to have a world class airport experience in T1.

The upgrading of T1 would not have been possible without the strong support of everyone in the airport community. We thank all of them for their understanding and cooperation during the upgrading period.”

It is a marvel what has been accomplished and a business model that other airport groups would do very well to follow. My wife has never been so contented in an airport before and when she is happy so am I.

Our trip to Asia was marked by a spectacular beginning and a matching end and will definitely feature in any return to the continent. It is not every day that an airport can leave such a warm feeling.

Butterfly Garden @ T3

Kinetic Art Sculpture

BASED ON THE TRIP HE TOOK

THROUGH THE AIRPORT

Changi Airport Groupwww.changiairport.com+65 6595 6868

Written by Daemon Sands

www.littlegatepublishing.com