Any country can build a fantastically-designed and modern airport if they are willing to pump in the money. Many countries have done so.
But does that necessarily mean that having the newest airport facilities makes it a top choice for travellers and airlines?
I would argue that it's often the little things that count. And certainly Changi International Airport does enough of the 'little' things to build up its reputation as an air-travelers' paradise.
Great work, Changi! And keep the Singapore Brand flying high!
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Update:
CNN: What are the world's best and worst airports for 2016?
By Elaine Yu, CNN, Updated 0856 GMT (1656 HKT) October 20, 2016Extract:
"... But how pleasant can an airport actually be?
That's where The Guide to Sleeping in Airports comes in, offering its annual scrutiny of the best and worst places to wander around in a jetlagged stupor.
The best in 2016?
Once again it's Singapore, scooping three titles -- best airport for sleeping, best airport for layovers and best airport for overall experience.
"I had almost an eight-hour layover on my second trip and still felt like it ended too soon to see everything I was hoping to see," gushed one of the guide's respondents about the city-state's Changi Airport.
Free and comfy reclining loungers and massage chairs are just the basics here.
This airport already has a butterfly garden, swimming pool and cinema.
A new Changi development containing an indoor forest with hiking trails and a 40-meter rain vortex falling from the roof is due to open in 2018. ..."
Read the full article here.
Don't believe any of it? Well, try it out and judge for yourself. :)
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Did you know....
Pic: ITB Asia. Credit: Changi Airport Group
- External aviations experts back in the 1970s had recommend to then PM Lee Kuan Yew to expand Paya Lebar Airport. However, LKY decided that it was better to re-site the airport at Changi which would give it room to grow sea-wards instead of being constrained in the city.
- In the early years after Independence, LKY wanted a Singapore which was abundant with lush greenery - hence the term "Garden City" was coined. Thus it's no surprise that this garden city concept was extended to Changi Airport. Today Changi is one of the "greenest" airports you can visit. Besides the many flora throughout the airport, there are 5 themed gardens, including a Sunflower Garden and a Orchid Garden. Visitors to/fro Singapore would travel along the ECP which is lined with trees and flowering shrubs.
- LKY was so obsessed with how Changi Airport was progressing that he asked for weekly reports on the state of the airport toilets' cleanliness.
- Ministry of Transport: Speech By Mr Lee Kuan Yew At Changi Airport 25th Anniversary Dinner on 1 July 2006
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