Singapore set for 20m more passengers

Changi Airport will be able to cater for 64 million passengers a year from 2008, according to transport minister Yeo Cheow Tong.

Work currently being carried out on the airport's third terminal hopes to increase the hub's annual capacity by 20 million people and the new facilities will also enable it to deal with larger aircraft currently emerging onto the market, such as the Airbus A380.

Speaking at a ceremony at the airport, the minister said: "T3's completion in 2008 will boost Changi Airport's capacity to 64 million passengers - 16 times more than Singapore's current population and significantly more than our humble beginnings at Kallang Airport, which was designed to handle less than a million passengers a year."

Once complete, people who fly to Singapore will have access to 70 retail units and over 30 food or drink outlets.

Changi Airport, which is currently in its silver jubilee year, has also drawn attention today to the architectural features of the terminal.

The "one-of-a-kind" construction will have 900 skylights that automatically adjust themselves to allow maximum levels of natural light into the terminal building.

The hub states that the lighting system hopes to produce "soothing ambience at all times of the day".

• Ski season off to early start in France
• Dubai voted world's best travel destination
• Scheduled flights more punctual in third quarter
• Barbados prepares to host jazz festival
• Flights resume in Bangkok
• Flybe confirms new flights for summer 2009
• New Star Alliance lounge opened in Paris
• Wireless network opened at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
• Emirates launches A380 on Heathrow flights
• Edinburgh whisky bars unite to promote tourism