Singapore Changi Airport is a global travel hub and one of the busiest in Asia. It has a solid reputation worldwide; it has earned the prestigious title of the World’s Best Airport by Skytrax 12 times. Why is it so successful?
1.
Exceptional Passenger Experience
The
foundation underpinning Singapore Changi Airport’s long-lasting success is its
continued commitment to exceptional customer experience. Passengers can use
world-class facilities perfect for leisure and business travellers.
International celebrities, businesspeople, sports stars, and other frequent
fliers use this airport and its many features to enter this financial and
entertainment hub.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org
2.
Entertainment and Leisure Options
You’re not alone if you hate long layovers. However, at Singapore Changi Airport, this period suddenly becomes something to look forward to. Dining, shopping, and entertainment are integral to the airport experience. Whether looking for luxury goods or somewhere to spend a few hours, Changi has something for everyone.
3.
Innovative Design and Facilities
Singapore
Changi Airport is a technological and architectural marvel. The design and
facilities offer much more than a place to wait for a flight.
The Jewel
Changi Airport first opened in 2019 and is the perfect example of how impactful
this transformation has been. This doughnut-shaped complex is ten stories tall
and a masterpiece that combines retail, dining, entertainment, and nature. At
its heart is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex, which towers at an impressive 40 meters in height.
This part of the airport is also home to a hedge maze, a suspended bridge, and
the Canopy Park.
Singapore Changi Airport effortlessly blends infrastructure with nature, creating an open and energizing space perfect for those leaving one flight and waiting for another. In addition to indoor gardens, the terminals have unique green spaces, such as the Butterfly Garden in Terminal 3. For those wanting to reconnect with nature and escape from the urban busyness of the city, this airport is a surprising refuge, as strange as that might appear at first glance.
Changi Airport’s 12-time reign as Skytrax’s champion is no accident. It results from a carefully created environment that puts passenger comfort, entertainment, and efficiency ahead of all other factors. As air travel continues to evolve, the airport’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction ensures it will remain one of the world’s best airports.
On the other hand, compared with other major hub airports in Southeast Asia, KLIA had the third-largest total international passenger traffic and the second-highest number of international hub traffic in the first nine months of 2023 (9M2023). Changi had the highest total number of both international passengers and international hub passengers than other airports in Southeast Asia.
Both KLIA and Changi had relatively high proportions of international hub (transit) passengers, at 24% and 22% respectively.
Malaysia also has lower direct connectivity to European aviation hubs than Singapore and Thailand. According to Mavcom, only 1.8% of Malaysia’s total international seat capacity is attributed to flights to European hubs, compared with 8.1% for Singapore and 9.5% for Thailand.
A key transit hub that was once ranked second-best airport in the world in 2001, KLIA has been slipping down the Skytrax global airport rankings since 2013. In 2024, it fell another four spots to rank 71st, from 67th in 2023.
Facilities at the airport, which was built in 1998, have been beset by problems including leaky ceilings and issues with the baggage-handling system. The aerotrain service linking KLIA’s satellite building with its main terminal broke down in March 2023, and has since been suspended, forcing passengers to use a less-convenient bus service. Long queues to clear immigration are also not uncommon.
Under a RM12.3 billion (S$3.5 billion) deal that will be completed by end-2024 and will take the listed airport operator private, US-based investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and the United Arab Emirates’ biggest sovereign wealth fund, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, will emerge with a combined 30 per cent stake in MAHB. These two foreign stakeholders are part of the Gateway Development Alliance (GDA) consortium that will acquire MAHB. The consortium also comprises two of MAHB’s existing local investors – sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional and state pension fund Employees Provident Fund – that together will have an increased stake of 70 per cent in the airport operator after the exercise.
So, will
matters change with GDA? Hopefully, yes! Aero-trains may work, leaky roofs may
be sorted, then there is immigration, signage, baggage system and a host of
other issues. How did we get here? Because we switched on the sleep mode, not
even the pause mode. Anyone could do something, but we can never match Changi!
Why? Because we don’t challenge ourselves to improve daily, if not weekly! And
that goes for MAS-the airline, currency fluctuations, schools, universities and
a whole host of other areas which Singapore is well ahead.
References:
What makes Changi Airport the world’s best? Shaan
Nicol, Best of Singapore, 13 Sept 2024
Cover Story: Keeping up with the competition, Kamarul
Azhar, The Edge Malaysia, 30 May 2024
Long queues, leaky ceilings: Can new investors pilot Malaysia’s KLIA up
the global airport rankings?, Zunaira Saieed, Straits Times, 15 July 2024
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