Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: Minister Iswaran said on 5 October 2022 that construction work for Changi Airport T5 has resumed after pausing for two years and T5 is expected to be completed in the mid-2030s. On 9 January 2023, Minister Iswaran also informed the House that the average weekly passenger traffic at Changi Airport has recovered to about 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels and the number of weekly flights had also recovered to nearly 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels. The opening of Chinese borders will, hopefully, lead to resumption of most of our pre-COVID-19 flights with China.
As air travel resumes and continues to grow in the coming months, especially with the possibility of Changi returning to pre-COVID-19 level flights, I would like to ask the Minister now for an update on the Government’s plans for the building of T5. Minister had said in October that we are retaining the option to increase the capacity to up to 70 mppa in the longer term. May I ask whether we are making any or any significant changes to our earlier plans for T5?
I would also like to ask whether there are any lessons we have learnt from the last three years of uncertainty caused by the pandemic which we can and would be applying to our T5 design and plans. May the Minister also share with us the likely schedule and dates for the twin phased opening of T5?
May I also ask about the land preparation and drainage works at Changi East and the runway system construction which were said to have started since 2014 and 2016 respectively. Were any of these works halted at any time during the pandemic? What is the status of these works and when are they scheduled for completion? And can the new runway be opened earlier ahead of the projected phased opening of T5?
Finally, I would like to ask whether any study is being done to establish how the two-year pause in the construction of T5 will affect growth and operations in the coming years and, if so, whether we are also considering any alternative plans to deal with such contingency.
Ministry of Transport
2 March 2023
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=budget-2086
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 