On This Date In 1990, Planes Took Flight From Changi Airport Terminal 2
By the early '90s, Changi Airport was already making waves as a global aviation hub, welcoming about 5.3 million visitors per year and servicing 1,900 flights weekly across 52 countries.
Clearly, it was time to level up. Nine years after Terminal 1 (T1) opened its doors, Changi Airport unveiled Terminal 2 (T2) on 22 Nov 1990, 34 years ago today!
The old T2. | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The T2 Departure Hall before the renovation that took place during the pandemic. | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS| IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Bigger is better
T2 was a game changer. At 358,000 sqm, it was bigger than T1's 308,000 sqm and effectively doubled Changi’s passenger capacity. It also brought along the debut of the original Skytrain, which became the go-to way for travellers to zip between both terminals.
When T2 opened, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir moved their operations there, joined by Southeast Asian carriers like Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Royal Brunei Airlines. Other carriers under the Star Alliance (which SIA was a part of) such as Lufthansa, also made T2 their new home.
The Solari board at T2 Departure Hall. | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Iconic features
One of T2’s iconic features was the flip-display board at the departure level installed in 1999 (also known as the Solari board; it was named after display manufacturer Solari di Udine). Remember the clacking sounds as the board refreshed new flights? The motors in the board powers each character individually, rotating at five flaps per second.
In 2013, T2 welcomed the Enchanted Garden, a whimsical space decked out with motion-triggered flowers, fibre-optic lights, and a pond filled with Archerfish and Koi. Perfect for chillaxing before boarding.
The new T2 Departure Hall. | IMAGE: FACEBOOK/@CHANGIAIRPORT
Even the immigration area got a facelift. | IMAGE: FACEBOOK/@CHANGIAIRPORT
A major upgrade
On Jan 2020, plans were announced to improve T2. The pandemic briefly grounded flights that same year, but it allowed expansion and upgrading works to speed up. The terminal reopened in stages from May 2022, and after 3½ years on Nov 2023 (ahead of schedule), T2 was fully back in action.
Just in time, too. With passenger traffic rebounding to pre-Covid levels, the new and improved T2 is now Changi’s largest terminal, able to handle up to 28 million passengers annually. The upgrades also included more automated check-in kiosks, baggage drop machines, and immigration lanes. It is also the first among Changi terminals equipped with automated Special Assistance Lanes for travellers with disabilities and kids.
The Changi Airport Group says the upgrades added 5 million passengers per annum to airport’s capacity, which means all 4 terminals can accommodate 90 million visitors per year. T2 alone can serve up to 28 million passengers per annum, the largest of the Changi’s terminals.
The Wonderfall. | IMAGE: FACEBOOK/@CHANGIAIRPORT
Dreamscape, at the boarding area. | IMAGE: FACEBOOK/@CHANGIAIRPORT
What’s new at T2?
The new T2 is home to The Wonderfall (not related to Wonderwall.sg unfortunately; it would’ve been wonderfall-ful though hur hur). This 14m tall multimedia wall in the departure hall greets passengers with a calming cascade of digital water. Every half hour, it puts on a magical musical show called Rhythms of Nature.
If you’ve missed the iconic Solari flip boards from the pre-refurbished T2, don’t worry. While the boards have been retired (you can find one of them at the National Museum), their memory lives on in Flap Pix, a kinetic art installation where the repurposed flip board capsules create digital portraits of visitors.
For a breath of fresh air, check out Dreamscape, a lush garden featuring over 20,000 plants, ponds, and a digital skylight. This high-tech ceiling mimics real-time daylight and weather conditions using Changi’s weather data and periodically transforms into mesmerising underwater scenes. Beneath your feet? A clear acrylic floor offering a view of real fish swimming in the pond below.
T2 proves that an airport terminal can be so much more than a pit stop to your next destination.
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