SINGAPORE: Changi Airport will progressively increase its charges for passengers and arriving flights over the next six years.
Fees payable by passengers departing from Changi Airport will rise from the current S$46.40 to S$58.40 (US$35 to US$44) by April 2030.
Transfer and transit fees, which are now S$6 per passenger, will triple to S$18.
Airlines will also have to pay higher landing, parking and aerobridge charges from April next year, but they get a 50 per cent rebate on the increases for the first six months.
The move will help offset investments in the airport’s infrastructure, which will cost S$3 billion, said Changi Airport Group and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Thursday (Nov 7).
These investments include the addition of new Skytrain cars and the refurbishment of Terminal 3.
It will also cater to higher operating costs, including for manpower and energy.
“In particular, wages for airport workers have increased over the past few years and are expected to continue growing in line with national initiatives such as the progressive wage model,” said the airport and CAAS in a press release.
They added that the changes will also take into consideration earlier investments made during the COVID-19 pandemic when charges were held constant from Apr 1, 2020 to Nov 1, 2022.
This was because planned increases were suspended to help airlines tide over the crisis.
Changi Airport CEO Yam Kum Weng told reporters on Thursday that while passenger traffic has largely recovered for the airport, it has not been spared the increasing cost pressures that have affected other industries.
The airport has taken steps to manage its costs but these were not enough to cover the increases, Mr Yam said.
“We have been very careful to calibrate the increase to ensure that Changi stays competitive,” he added.
WHAT ARE THE FEE INCREASES FOR PASSENGERS?
Passengers who are departing from Changi Airport currently have a service and security fee of S$46.40 included in their airfare. From Apr 1, 2027, this fee will increase by S$3 a year for four years. By the final increase in April 2030, it will be S$58.40.
