Changi Airport T5 to be more pandemic-proof, able to operate as smaller sub-terminals when needed

The new Changi Airport Terminal 5 will be designed so that it can be split and operated as smaller sub-terminals when needed, with spaces that can be converted into quarantine or testing facilities during pandemic times. Passenger touchpoints will also be contactless, and there will be ventilation systems that can be activated to increase fresh air or minimise the mixing of air when there is a threat of airborne disease, said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) on Sunday (Aug 21). Drawing from the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic, the features will make the airport more resilient and able to handle future pandemics more nimbly, MOT said. The construction of T5, which was halted because of the pandemic, will start in about two years. Details of the design were unveiled in tandem with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally on Sunday. In his speech, which gave updates on T5, PM Lee said the new terminal will be able to scale operations up and down more easily, and isolate passengers from different flights to limit cross-infection when future pandemics hit. It will also be greener and more energy efficient. With borders reopening and people travelling again, the future of aviation remains bright, PM Lee added. "When completed in the mid-2030s, T5 will show the world what sort of place Singapore is," he said. "Our decisions to press on with Changi T5 and Tuas Port send a strong and clear signal to the world that Singapore is emerging stronger from the pandemic and charging full steam ahead."<br/>