Changi Airport handled about 70 million passengers in 2025, with volumes surpassing pre-Covid-19 levels, said Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow on Jan 5.
This means passenger numbers at the airport reached an all-time high in 2025, eclipsing the previous record of 68.3 million passengers in 2019, before the pandemic grounded planes and ravaged air travel.
In 2024, Changi Airport handled 67.7 million passengers.
The strong post-pandemic recovery in global aviation shows the Government made the right decision to go ahead with plans to build Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5), paused during the pandemic, Mr Siow said at the launch of a new exhibition on the future mega terminal.
He added that operator Changi Airport Group (CAG) will launch the tender for T5’s superstructure – the section of the terminal built above ground – in the next few weeks.
Noting that the decision to build T5 was one of confidence in Singapore’s future and conviction in the nation’s ability to secure its place in a competitive world, Mr Siow said this confidence was shaken when global aviation demand collapsed during the pandemic.
“For a moment, we were not sure what the future of aviation would hold. And we reconsidered deeply whether to continue with T5,” he said.
But the Government decided to go ahead, added Mr Siow, and the future now looks bright – global air traffic is expected to double by 2050, with the Asia-Pacific region leading this growth.
With T5 representing the future of aviation for Singapore, it has been designed to be technology-intensive, empowered by automation and artificial intelligence (AI), he said.
For example, autonomous vehicles and robotics are already being tested for labour-intensive processes such as baggage and cargo handling.
Mr Siow added that AI can be used to improve flight planning and passenger services, as well as respond quickly to disruptions to airport operations, such as changing weather conditions.
The new mega terminal – scheduled to open in the mid-2030s – will show the way for aviation sustainability, as it will promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel and be fully electrified, he said.
It has been designed to put the customer first, said Mr Siow, with ideas from passengers, airlines, and airport tenants being incorporated into the layout of lounges and the design of retail spaces.
The T5 In The Making exhibition, which will be held at Terminal 3’s arrival hall from Jan 6 to March, will bring the story of Changi Airport and Singapore to life, said Mr Siow.
Organised by the Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and CAG, the exhibition will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the vision, planning and design of the terminal.
The Straits Times
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8 Jan 2026 13:42
