Page 10 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2016 Online Magazine

FeatuRe CHANGI
FEATURE CHANGI

Forward Looking

Changi Airport in Singapore to be MRO centre
By Our Special Correspondent

a MassiVe exPansion PLan is unDeR- “The exact amount [of land set aside per annum. The Singapore Government has
way for Changi Airport that involves building for MRO] we can’t disclose,” he says, adding announced it is due to be completed in the
a fourth and fifth terminal as well as a third that the land made available for MRO will be mid-2020s.
runway. But it also includes additional land released and developed in phases. He also Changi currently has three terminals with a
for Singapore’s maintenance, repair and says there will be some flexibility in terms of fourth due to open next year that will increase
overhaul (MRO) sector. usage of land. The amount set aside for MRO the airport’s total passenger capacity to 85
“The whole of Changi East, which is the is subject to change, he adds. million passengers per annum.
area under-development for expansion, is Tan says the plan is for MRO at Changi to It could be argued another reason
1,080 hectares,” says Singapore Economic be mostly commercial MRO – because it is for the expansion of Changi, is not just so
Development Board (EDB) director transport next to terminal five, which is a commercial Singapore can cater to more air travellers,
engineering, Tan Kong Hwee. terminal – but the authorities are also open to but because the air force and the country’s
He says: “This includes land set aside allowing business aviation MRO companies to main commercial and military MRO provider
for terminal five and for core airport related be there. “I don’t think we have discriminated Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero),
activities such as baggage handling facilities. in that way and said business aviation must all has to vacate Paya Lebar air force base (AFB).
But a large part of the 1,080 hectares is be at Seletar Airport,” he adds. The government has announced that
designated for industrial. This is because we Changi’s terminal five will be a ‘mega Paya Lebar AFB will be demolished, including
see growth for MRO and for logistics.” terminal’ that can handle 50 million passengers the runway, and the land redeveloped into
10 ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/AAA