On Tuesday, Changi Airport Group reopened the southern wing of its newly upgraded Terminal 2 departures hall. This followed May's reopening of the arrivals hall as the airport moves to complete Terminal 2's transformation by 2024.

For the first time since T2 and T4 operations were suspended in May 2020, all four Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) terminals are now open. Following the opening of T4 in September and this week's T2 opening, the Asian hub has restored capacity to around 70 million passengers a year, the same as pre-pandemic levels.

Singapore Airlines is first on the line

Singapore Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 in flight
Photo: Singapore Airlines

Fittingly, the first two flights from T2 were operated by home carrier Singapore Airlines. First was flight SQ104 to Kuala Lumpur, flown by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which departed at 07:22 and landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) at 08:14. That was followed by flight SQ706 to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) with the 787-10 Dreamliner leaving at 07:31 and arriving into Bangkok at 08:22.

Singapore Airlines operated 17 flights headed for Malaysia and Thailand on Tuesday and, from today, will be serving all its South East Asian destinations from T2. Starting on October 18th, Air India and Air India Express will also begin operations from T2. More airlines will progressively move into T2, and the airport operators said they would be announced soon.

Singapore Changi T2 reopening departures hall
Photo: Changi Airport Group

Changi Airport Group EVP of Airport Management, Tan Lye Teck, said the reopening of terminal two is an important chapter in Changi Airport's story because,

"It marks the airport's progressive return to four-terminal operations. Changi has been through a lot over the past two-plus years, and we are happy to welcome more passengers back."

Calm and relaxing in T2

The revamp of T2 fits in with the natural elements of Jewel Changi Airport, the nature-themed entertainment and retail complex within the airport. T2 aims to use greenery to foster a calm and relaxing environment, and part of that is making it easy for passengers to navigate the check-in and immigration processes. T2 has widely spaced automated check-in kiosks and lanes that are slanted towards departure immigration, giving passengers a clear vision of where to go next. There are self-bag drop units and automatic immigration clearance gates, making for a quicker, contactless journey.

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Singapore Changi T2 SIA passengers at the automated check-in kiosk
Photo: Changi Airport Group

For decades Changi airport has led the way in Asia for airport shopping, dining and relaxation facilities. T2 opened with 25 retail outlets, including the ubiquitous Starbucks, and many more are planned to open. If that's still not enough choice, passengers can jump on the Skytrain for the three-minute ride to Terminal 3, where plenty more await. For those with a longer transit, there is the T2 transit hotel and pay-per-use lounge, while T2 also houses a Singapore Airlines' SilverKris Lounge for eligible passengers.

There have also been significant behind the scenes improvements made, principally to the terminal's baggage handling operations and airconditioning systems. To ensure everything worked as it should, Changi Airport got nearly 3,000 people to test T2's operational readiness. This involved airlines, ground handlers and government agencies working together to test their systems and processes and ensure T2 was operating smoothly from day one.

  • Jewel Changi Airport
    Singapore Changi Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    SIN/WSSS
    Country:
    Singapore
    CEO:
    Lee Seow Hiang
    Passenger Count :
    3,053,000 (2021)
    Runways :
    02L/20R - 4,000m (13,123ft) | 02C/20C - 4,000m (13,123ft) | 02R/20L - 4,000m (13,123ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Terminal 4 | JetQuay CIP Terminal