FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN SINGAPORE CHANGI AIRPORT FOR TRANSIT PASSENGERS

Abstract

Previously, transit passengers were thought to contribute little to the tourism industry, but now with the increase in their numbers in the recent years, the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board (STPB), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Singapore Airlines are looking into ways to turn this group of passengers into tourists. The volume of transit passengers will determine which airport becomes the hub airport and make a significant contribution to the non-aeronautical revenues of the airport. They are especially important to Singapore, where international travelers form the bulk of Singapore Changi Airport's traffic, and CAAS wants to encourage more passengers to use the airport for flight connections to other destinations. The provision of a comprehensive range of transit facilities in a good, comfortable airport environment will go a long way towards enhancing the first impressions of the transit passengers, where very often, the airport is their only point of contact with the country that they are passing through. This dissertation attempts to highlight the provision and ascertain the level of sufficiency of the facilities available in the transit area in Singapore Changi Airport. A study of the efforts put in by two other leading international airports towards attracting these passengers is included. The findings of the study show that there is at present a sufficient level of facilities being provided at Singapore Changi Airport.