After a 3-year revamp, Changi Airport T2 has fully reopened, ready to elevate travellers’ adventures to newer heights. The 32-year-old terminal retains some familiar features, but it is now equipped with a 4-storey high digital waterfall display, verdant gardens with fish ponds, and much more.
While T2 was set for completion in 2024, the accelerated remodelling has already enhanced its handling capacity from 23 million to 28 million passengers per year. Overall, Changi Airport’s yearly capacity has risen to 90 million passengers.
Changi Airport’s T2 was shut down for upgrading in May 2020. Two years later, in May 2022, certain sections such as arrival immigration, baggage claim belts in the southern wing, and operations in the departure hall reopened in phases, owing to the ease of the travel restrictions as the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.
Changi Airport T2: Sights and Sounds that delight
For starters, The Wonderfall — a 4-storey high digital waterfall display — emerges as the primary focus of the departure hall. 14 metres tall and 17 metres wide, this multimedia waterfall cascades over massive boulders, putting together a musical show featuring original melodies by Canadian pianist Jean-Michel Blais. Exhibited on an 892-tile screen, this four-minute show plays every half an hour.
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Additionally, Dreamscape — a lush blend of gardens, digital content, fish and plants — awaits at the departure transit area after immigration. Here, a digital sky ceiling mimics the atmospheric conditions in real-time and is complemented by 2,00,000 plants from 100 different species which are rare in Singapore. A fish pond underneath the transparent floor and audio recordings of over 100 birds, insects, and related fauna are truly the cherry on the cake.
Retail options at Changi Airport T2
After soaking up the audio-visual delights, travellers can also indulge in some retail therapy at T2. The revamped terminal is home to the first Southeast Asian pop-up of Funko: a merchandise store selling pop culture collectables, accessories, and toys.
A praiseworthy pitstop is the Lotte Duty-Free Wine and Spirits store. It stands out with a robot bartender and a liquor-tasting lounge. Another highlight is the Australian artisanal cafe Jones The Grocer at the departure hall. It offers a deli-style food counter on the ground level and a soon-to-open bar and restaurant on the second level.
16 airlines operate from the revamped terminal and connect travellers to 40 cities. The carriers operating at Changi Airport T2 include Singapore Airlines and German flag carrier Lufthansa. Moreover, the terminal now houses almost double the number of automated check-in kiosks and baggage-drop machines as compared to earlier. It even features a new automated early luggage storage system, which can store up to 2,400 checked-in bags before they are loaded onto the aircraft.
Changi Airport T2 also has automated special assistance lanes for people with disabilities or families travelling with children.
(Main and Feature Image Credit: Singapore Changi Airport)
This story first appeared on Travel + Leisure India.
Writer by day, reader by night, Yashita has a flair for all things travel, wellness and food. She has previously worked at Condé Nast India and Times Internet. When not working, you can catch her binge-reading the latest thriller on the block, re-watching Friends, trying a new recipe or hosting her friends.
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