The first finalist to emerge in Changi Airport’s third edition of the ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ retail promotion is a female engineer from Shanghai, China, Pan Lizhu 35, who purchased two new iPads at Changi Airport in June.

 

Since the launch of the ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’  promotion in 2010, this is the first time a Chinese national has emerged as a finalist for the Grand Draw despite the fact that China is Changi Airport’s fifth largest source of passenger traffic, accounting for about 9% of total traffic at Changi.

 

For the first five months of 2012, Chinese nationals contributed 25% to total concession sales at Changi Airport. Their top three favourite product categories by sales include liquor and tobacco, perfumes and cosmetics, and luxury goods.

 

Organised by Changi Airport Group (CAG), ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ has made two shoppers overnight millionaires with its grand prize of S$1 million since the promotion’s debut in 2010.

 

NEW MILLIONAIRE IN JANUARY 2013

Pan [pictured left] purchased the iPads in Singapore as the Apple tablet was not yet available in the Chinese market.  As a departing passenger, Pan enjoyed 7% GST savings on her $1,700 purchase.

 

Come January 2013, Pan will be one of six finalists to enter the ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ Grand Draw – to determine which among them would win the grand prize of $1 million.

 

One finalist will be drawn each month for participation in the ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ Grand Draw during the six-month promotion, which runs from 12 May to 11 November 2012.

 

CHANGI COMPLETES UPGRADING WORKS

This month also sees Changi Airport Group (CAG) mark a new milestone for Terminal 1 (T1), the “Grand Dame of Singapore Changi Airport”.

 

Upgrading works for Changi’s oldest terminal have been completed and a ceremony will take place on 18 July 2012.

 

Started in May 2008, the S$500 million T1 upgrading project has given the terminal a “fresh and rejuvenated look”. Works were carried out to refurbish the terminal’s interior design and finishes, as well as improve passenger flow at key areas such as the Departure Check-in Hall, Departure Transit Mall and Arrival Hall.

 

About 22,000 sqm have also been added to the building, bringing the total floor space of T1 to about 308,000 sqm.

 

SPATIAL COMFORT, BETTER FLOW

The larger floor area provides for more spatial comfort, better passenger flow, additional facilities and expanded retail and F&B offerings.

 

Developed on the thematic concept of a ‘Tropical City’, the upgraded T1 reflects Singapore’s reputation as a garden city. Improvements to the façade and terminal facilities were made with the aim of improving the airport experience for passengers.

 

Changes were made to the layout of the terminal, with the introduction of better ‘wayfinding’ elements.

 

Added to this, higher ceilings, improved lighting, wider thoroughfares and thoughtful landscaping have all contributed to a high quality experience that is synonymous with the Changi Experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Above: 1,700sq m of open space created in the Departure Transit Mall]

 

WORLD’S LARGEST KINETIC SCULPTURE

A major challenge facing the project engineers was to carry out the upgrading even as T1 remained operational. This meant that works had to be done in phases during the four-year period to accommodate the different operational requirements of the terminal’s users.

 

A highlight of the revamped Departure Check-in Hall is the addition of the world’s largest kinetic art sculpture. Known as Kinetic Rain, this sculpture is made up of a total of 1,216 bronze droplets, moving in synchrony to a specially choreographed dance every day.

 

 

To enable Changi Airport’s continued growth, CAG is embarking on plans to develop the existing open-air car park fronting T1 into an aviation-related mixed-use complex, in a project that will increase T1’s handling capacity by 14% to 24 million passengers per annum. As part of this project, some of the public areas of the T1 building will be expanded, allowing for more space for aviation facilities such as the baggage claim hall, arrival hall, car park and taxi bays.

 

Lee Seow Hiang [pictured above], Chief Executive Officer, Changi Airport Group said, “Terminal 1 holds a special place in the hearts of many Singaporeans given its long history. We are pleased to have retained its heritage while preparing it for the future.

 

“With a contemporary ambience and improved facilities, passengers and visitors will continue to have a world class airport experience in T1.

 

“The upgrading of T1 would not have been possible without the strong support of everyone in the airport community. We thank all of them for their understanding and cooperation during the upgrading period.”

 

Lee added, “At CAG, we believe in the importance of constant rejuvenation in order to keep the Changi Experience refreshing. With this in mind, we are embarking on the implementation of various enhancements and improvements around Changi Airport to meet the changing needs of our customers and prepare for future growth.

 

“While infrastructure upgrades are important, we place a strong emphasis on ‘heartware’ too. With our airport partners, our focus will also continue to be on ensuring that the Changi Service DNA – personalised, stress-free and positively surprising, is infused in the airport experience at Changi.”