A major refresh is in the pipeline for Changi Airport Terminal 3, aimed at boosting passenger throughput and enhancing the overall travel experience.
Planned upgrades include expanded use of digital technologies and robotics across operations – from security screening and self-service check-in to automated toilet cleaning.
Some of these initiatives will also act as test-beds for future deployments at Terminal 5 ahead of its opening in the mid-2030s, said Singapore’s acting transport minister Jeffrey Siow at the annual Changi Airline Awards on 29 April.
Operational capacity at Terminal 3 will also be scaled up. Early bag-storage capacity will increase by 65%, in response to rising transit volumes and growing demand for early check-in.
To better handle peak-hour traffic, the number of bus gates will rise from three to seven. A new inter-terminal link will also be introduced, creating a second transfer route between Terminals 1 and 3.
The upgrading work for T3 is set to begin by the end of 2026, and is part of operator Changi Airport Group’s S$3 billion (US$2.3 billion) investment announced in 2024 to be spread across its four terminals.
CAG chief executive Yam Kum Weng added that there will also be an “off-airport” check-in service, allowing passengers to check in for their flights at selected city hotels.
In the initial trial phase, this service will be available to Singapore Airlines passengers staying at Fullerton Hotel, Fullerton Bay Hotel and Marina Bay Sands. Luggage transfers will go straight from hotel to the airport, before getting loaded onto departing flights.