SKYTRAX – World’s Best Airport (7 times)
Wanderlust – Top Worldwide Airport (16 times)
DestinAsian – Best Airport In The World (13 times)
Business Traveller Germany Awards – Best Airport Worldwide (25 times)
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards – Best Airport in the World (26 times)
… and these are just a few of the 590 awards bestowed upon this airport.
You get the idea; this airport is top in the world. And it is none other than Changi Airport, Singapore!
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Changi Airport’s operations span across 4 terminals, built on a 13-square-kilometre site. Since Singapore is a small island without the need for domestic air travel, all 4 terminals serve international flights.
Now, one might wonder: how does Changi Airport, in a country smaller than New York City, manage to offer the best experience to passengers, while maintaining efficient operations and utmost aviation safety?
First of all, Changi Airport is more than just an airport. With over 400 retail stores and 140 F&B outlets, the airport is a world-class shopping haven, offering a variety of stores.
For the digital entertainment lover, the airport offers multi-media entertainment: movie theatres and an entertainment deck (complete with Xbox260, Kinect stations and the works – all for free!). And for those who prefer a more natural experience, Changi Airport is a cornucopia of lush greenery. A Cactus Garden with over 100 species of cacti and succulents from Africa and the Americas, a Sunflower Garden with 500 vivid blooms (a majestic view of the runway and aircraft parking bays can also be spotted from here), and an Orchid Garden are all part of Changi Airport’s nature trail for passengers who have more than 4 hours to spare. There is also a Butterfly Garden, home to more than 1,000 free-flying butterflies. Here, visitors can enjoy the beauty of flowering plants, a 6-metre high waterfall and an enclosure to witness the breeding and feeding of butterflies at close range.
With the opening of multi-dimensional lifestyle destination, Jewel Changi Airport, in 2019, Changi Airport will have additional retail and dining, more indoor gardens, a hotel, and just so much more to offer!
Secondly, Changi Airport is all about the immersive experience. Just take a look at Terminal 4’s Petalclouds, a 200-metre wide kinetic sculpture. This grand-scale art instalment dances gracefully to classical music specially composed by Ólafur Arnalds, a BAFTA award-wining composer. That’s not all Terminal 4 has to offer – there are also nostalgic exhibits in the Heritage Zone, delivering a multi-sensory experience. Then, just past immigration, at the centralised security screening area, there is an Immersive Wall showcasing Singapore’s skyline and ASEAN landmarks. To complete the experience, art sculptures can be found all around the airport.
Over at Terminal 1, the Kinetic Rain instalment takes the form of an aeroplane, hot air balloon, and dragon – but only if you stick around long enough! Made up of more than 1,000 bronze droplets, Kinetic Rain has been a crowd-favourite since its introduction in 2012. And in Terminal 2, another kinetic sculpture can be found. Titled ‘A Million Times at Changi’, this sculpture showcases the beauty of synchronised movement and is one of the biggest kinetic artworks in the world.
And last but not least, Changi Airport is a world-class airport because of its ability to carry out impeccable services. In 2017, the airport saw over 62 million passenger movements, 2 million tons of air freight movements and 373,201 aircraft movements. These statistics make Changi Airport the 6th busiest airport in the world (in terms of international passenger traffic), and the 2nd busiest in Asia. It serves more than 100 airlines, to 400 destinations. On average, one flight takes off every 80 seconds.
In October 2018, Singapore Airlines began the world’s longest flight from Changi Airport, Singapore to Newark Liberty International Airport, New York (SIN-EWR). This service is Southeast Asia’s only non-stop connection to the North American east coast. With this new addition, Changi Airport now has 72 weekly passenger services between Singapore and the United States.
Changi Airport’s ability to handle such large amounts of traffic, all the while caring for the needs of passengers and airport visitors is what makes it a world-class airport. The airport has set an impeccable example for other airports in the ASEAN region, and is truly a model other airports should emulate.
The Dviation Group strives to drive the ASEAN region to the forefront of the global aviation industry. Discover more about their goals at www.dviation.com, and find out how you can be part of this vision!