Changi Airport T1 & T3 will Reopen on 1 Sep with More Safeguards

Since May, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 of Changi Airport have been closed off to the public.

Much to the chagrin of many, I’m sure.

But it seems that like Cristiano Ronaldo, they’re due for a sensationalised return to service…

Complete with enhancements to prevent a second closure in the future.

Changi Airport T1 & T3 will Reopen on 1 Sep with More Safeguards

Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 will be returning to the forefront from 1 September onwards, and they’re better equipped this time around.

For one, they’re minimising interaction between arriving passengers and residents, by limiting the use of arrival halls.

Only professional meet-and-greet services are allowed to greet arriving passengers, and even then, they must hail from low-risk countries.

Also, only one representative is permitted to receive each arriving passenger group.

To ease things, however, taxi services will be made available for prospective passengers.

Meanwhile, a new dining area has also been set aside for airport staff members.

Located in Terminal 3, the reserved area will minimise contact between workers and the public.

As a result of the move, however, the dining and retail outlets at Terminal 3’s arrival hall will be closed off for the time being.

And to end off, the terminals’ air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems have been given a real boost.

Incorporating the use of hospital-grade MERV-14 filters, Ultraviolet-C sanitisation within the air-conditioning set-ups as well as portable air purifiers, the systems will offer extended protection from more transmissible variants of COVID-19.

Closed Off

Terminals 1 and 3 were first closed on 13 May 2021, following a spike in cases linked to the airport.

All workers in Terminal 1, 3 and Jewel Changi Airport had to undergo mandatory COVID-19 tests.

However, certain amenities stayed opened during this period.

“Access to the passenger terminal buildings will be restricted to only passengers with air tickets and essential airport workers,” said the authorities.

“Some essential services and food and beverage outlets will remain open to serve them. For clarity, members of the public will not be allowed to enter the passenger terminal buildings.”

Back in May 2020, operations at Terminal 4 were suspended to “optimise resources”.

This was due to the sharp decline in flight movements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) said this will help to “save on running costs such as utilities and cleaning”.

And before that, it was announced that Terminal 2 would be closed for 18 months from 1 May 2020 to cut costs and to begin planned upgrade works.

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