Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
History, Facts and Overview
(Singapore City, Singapore)
During the mid-seventies, the Singapore government felt the need to replace the already over stretched Paya Lebar Airport. A site was chosen at the far eastern side of the island, alongside the coastline, so that planes would be able to fly over the adjacent sea, rather than the city. The enormous project that followed involved major land reclamation, where soil from nearby hills was used to extend the landmass.
In 1981, phase one of construction was completed and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) was officially opened and so far had cost more than $1.5 billion. During its first year, most than eight million passengers used that airport and the next decade saw the completion of phase two, when Terminal 2 was finally inaugurated, costing more than $300 million.
Changi Airport refurbished Terminal 1 in 1999 at the cost of around $400 million and in 2002, the arrival of the modern Skytrain (Automated People Mover System) was hailed a big success, linking central Singapore with ease. In 2006, the Budget Terminal opened, to accommodate the increasing number of no-frills airlines.
Amongst the selection of facilities offered by Singapore Changi Airport are banking facilities, GST refund desks and currency exchange, where you can easily obtain Singapore Dollars (SGD) at a competitive rate of exchange. Also available is an increasingly popular off-airport check-in service, where passengers can actually check-in via telephone or even the Internet.
Many travellers also choose to take advantage of the early check-in service, so that they have time to properly explore Singapore Changi Airport. The onsite Airport Shopping City is home to almost 250 stores and eateries, such as the 7-Eleven, Cartier, Esprit, Prada, Swizzle Delicatessen, Tiffany & Co, and the DFS Duty Free Galleria. Two large food courts can be found in both terminals and serve many classic Cantonese dishes and an array of other cuisines, along with restaurants such as the Brek Ristorante, Crystal Jade, Sakae Sushi and Sukhothai, where you can sample flavours from Thailand.
