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Singapore Changi Airport's new Terminal 3 commenced scheduled

flight operations January 9, witnessed by Minister for Transport and Second

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Lim. After months of intensive

preparatory tests and trials of various airport systems, the new terminal

handled its first arrival flight from San Francisco at 11.50am and saw its

first departure flight at 12.50pm to London.

Accompanied by Mr Liew Mun Leong, Chairman, Civil Aviation

Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and CAAS senior management officials,

Minister Lim personally welcomed passengers onboard the first arrival flight,

Singapore Airlines flight SQ001. Passengers were also greeted with a lively

traditional lion dance performance and received gift bags containing

congratulatory certificates for being on the first flight.

Minister Lim said "I am delighted that Terminal 3 has now come to

fruition. The opening of Terminal 3 marks a significant milestone for Changi

Airport as it will increase Changi Airport's total annual capability to about 70

million passenger movements, enhancing its position as the regional aviation

hub. With this new terminal, we are poised to meet the demands of the

growing tourist and business traffic in and out of Singapore, especially when

the two integrated resorts start their operations."

During the welcome ceremony, Minister Lim witnessed a cheque

presentation ceremony to the Singapore Cancer Society, a charitable

organisation adopted by CAAS. Mr Lim Kim Choon, CAAS Director-General

and Chief Executive Officer, presented a cheque of S$230,000 to Dr Koo Wen

Hsin, Council Chairman of the Singapore Cancer Society. S$200,000 was

raised through admission ticket sales at the month-long Terminal 3 Open

House from November to December 2007 for the public to enjoy a preview of

Terminal 3. The Open House attracted about 250,000 people. The remaining

S$30,000 was raised through other initiatives organised by CAAS.

CAAS also launched a shopping promotion at all three terminals at

Changi Airport from 9 January to 29 February 2008. As part of the promotion,

travellers and airport visitors stand a chance to win travel packages worth

S$10,000 or win cash three times their shopping amount.

At Terminal 3, travellers and airport visitors will also get to enjoy varied

shopping and dining options from over 100 retail shops and 40 food &

beverage outlets. More than 35% of the retailers at Terminal 3 are new to

Changi Airport. In addition, the introduction of a number of "first-of-its-kind"

outlets, innovative and interactive features in airport shop concepts as well as

the greater presence of popular retail and dining establishments will add

vibrancy to the shopping and dining scene at the new terminal.

Since early 2007, CAAS has been conducting integrated trials to

prepare Terminal 3 for flight operations. The trials allowed CAAS and airport

agencies to test the airport systems and procedures in an integrated manner

ahead of the terminal's opening. The trials were carried out on airport

systems such as the passenger check-in system, baggage handling system

and immigration clearance system. Over 50 trial flights were carried out at

Terminal 3 before it opened, including about 20 actual Singapore Airlines

passenger flights.

With the opening of Terminal 3, Singapore Airlines' long-haul flights will

operate out of Terminal 3 and its regional flights will operate out of Terminal 2.

For more information, travellers and airport users are invited to visit the

websites of Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport at www.singaporeair.com

and www.changiairport.com. Four other airlines, namely China Eastern

Airlines, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and United Airlines, will commence

operations at Terminal 3 in March 2008.

Terminal 3 and its associated works cost S$1.75 billion. It adds a

capacity of 22 million passengers per annum to Changi Airport, bringing the

airport's total annual capability to about 70 million passenger movements.

Terminal 3 also adds another 28 aerobridge gates to Changi Airport. Among

the 28 aerobridge gates are eight gates that are designed to handle the A380

aircraft, bring the total of A380 gates at Changi Airport to 19 across all three

main terminals.