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SPEECH
BY MR LEE KUAN YEW,
MINISTER MENTOR,
AT CHANGI AIRPORT 25TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER,
1 JULY 2006, 8.00 PM
AT THE RAFFLES BALLROOM,
SWISSOTEL THE STAMFORD
1 I am happy to join you this evening
to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Changi Airport.
Remembering the Past
2
Singapore’s
first civil airport was at Kallang. From 1937 it
had only one runway. BOAC flying boats used to “land” on the Kallang
River basin
beside it. Paya Lebar
Airport
replaced Kallang in 1955.
3 By
mid 1970s, it was clear that Paya Lebar
Airport
would not be able to cope with the growing traffic for much longer. We needed
a bigger airport, with at least two runways. The proposal put up to me was to
expand Paya Lebar and
construct a second runway. We employed
external consultants who made similar recommendations – that we should
expand the existing Paya Lebar
terminals and build a second runway by filling up the Serangoon
River. This would be a difficult engineering task
because of the soft clay of the river bed, so it would need special
compaction equipment.
4 But
I felt then that Paya Lebar
had inherent disadvantages. It was
located near the city centre.
Expansion would be limited.
Worse, noise and air pollution would become worse because the flight
path footprint was already over our city centre. The alternative was to move to Changi, former RAF airbase at the easternmost corner of Singapore.
There the landings and take-offs approaches would be over water. Our
consultants did not recommend Changi because of the
cost of relocating to Changi plus the loss of $800
million in investments already made on Paya Lebar. The Cabinet
reluctantly agreed.
5 But
before the plan was implemented the oil crisis erupted in 1973. The price of
oil quadrupled from US$1.20 to over US$5.00 per barrel. Air traffic slowed
down and the Boeing 747 jumbos entered service. So fewer planes were using Paya Lebar. This delayed the
need for a second runway. I took this opportunity to re-consider the
decision. I appointed Howe Yoon Chong, then
Chairman of the Port
of Singapore Authority,
to head a team to study if we could move to Changi
in time before a second runway was necessary. The team concluded that Changi was possible and could be ready by 1981. However
between 1974 and 1981 we would have to invest in more facilities at Paya Lebar to meet the yearly
increase in traffic.
6 Although
this cost of relocating the airport to Changi was
high, some $1.5 billion, I believed that in the long term this would be the
better option. In April 1975, when I was in Washington,
Goh Keng Swee, as Ag PM, sent me an urgent message that we had to
make a quick decision if we wanted Changi
Airport
to be built in time by 1981. A few weeks earlier Saigon
had fallen to the North Vietnamese. The future was uncertain. I set aside the
implications of this political upset on growth and cabled back to him to
proceed. Sim
Kee Boon, Permanent Secretary of Communications,
was tasked with building Changi
Airport.
He reclaimed land from the sea, and started construction of the first
passenger terminal building in earnest. Kee Boon
and his team completed Changi
Airport
with one runway in July 1981. Returning from New
Zealand, my aircraft
landed in the new Changi airport in August
1981. Kee
Boon went on to make Changi
Airport
a world class facility.
Reviewing the Present
7 Today,
we have an internationally rated Changi
Airport. It is an icon Singapore
can all be proud of.
8 When
it opened in 1981, Changi
Airport
handled only eight million passengers and about 200,000 tonnes
of cargo in the first year. Today, the
passenger traffic has gone up four-folds while cargo traffic has grown by
more than nine times. We now have two
full service terminals and a budget terminal and two runways. A third terminal is due to open by early
2008.
9 Changi did Singapore
proud when it won its first ‘World’s Best
Airport’
award by the Business Traveller (UK) magazine in
1988. The management team continued to win this accolade for the next 18
years to 2005, despite the challenge from many new airports in the region
vying aggressively to be better.
10 Over
the years, Changi
Airport
has gone on to win top ratings from air travellers
and travel magazines, picking up some 250 accolades to date. Such feedback
from customers assures us that the world continues to enjoy the Changi
Airport
experience.
11 During
this period, Singapore Airlines has gone on to become a global airline. The
parallel growth of Changi
Airport
and Singapore
Airlines has contributed to the success of the aviation cluster in Singapore.
12 Today,
Singapore
serves over 100 world-class aerospace companies and commands about six
percent of the global maintenance, repair and overhaul industry market and
about one quarter of the Asian market. The success of Changi
Airport,
SIA, the MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) and air cargo sectors and
their spin-offs have all contributed significantly to Singapore’s
economic growth.
Anticipating the Future
13 However,
as with all “icons” of success, previous achievements are no
guarantee of its growth. The competition for Changi’s
hub position has grown keener with newer, bigger airports around all with the
latest equipment. Enhanced cost
pressures on airports and airlines, new aircraft technology, and the
introduction of low-cost carriers, they all add the pressures of competition
on CAAS.
14 CAAS has responded well to these
challenges. Over the past year, Changi has taken steps to keep airport costs competitive,
improve efficiency and enhance service levels, and provide a friendly
environment for airlines to grow. Changi must continue its efforts to upgrade and adapt its
services and facilities in preparation for the challenges ahead. We will also continue to liberalise our Air
Services Agreements (ASA) with China, India and ASEAN nations to facilitate the growth of both Singapore and foreign carriers at Changi.
15 Staying
relevant and competitive in this changing environment can be achieved only
through the collective efforts of all in the airport community.
16 No
vision will be realised if we do not have committed
and competent people in charge and supported by a cluster of organisations.
Only together can they make Changi
Airport
the world’s best airport.
17 Today,
there are more than 35,000 staff from various
organizations working at the airport.
And, more than 3,500 of these staff have been working at the airport
for more than 25 years, that is, since 1981.
18 As
our international gateway, Changi
Airport
gives all visitors an excellent introduction to the way Singapore
works. Changi’s international recognition is
a valuable and visible extension of Singapore’s
reputation for excellence. Indeed, many of the foreign dignitaries visiting Singapore
inspect the airport to find out the secret behind Changi’s
success. They include the unions,
airlines, ground handlers, air cargo companies, contractors, retailers, as
well as government agencies, the Police, Immigration and Checkpoints
Authority, and Singapore Customs. The
commitment and support of all these organisations
have contributed immensely to Changi’s
success.
19 On
behalf of the government and the people of Singapore,
I record our recognition to CAAS and their supporting cluster for bringing Changi
Airport
to its present state. It has not been
easy. Changi
Airport
will have many good years as long as there is a team to marshal the various
bodies to deliver the renowned Changi
Airport
experience to Singaporeans and travellers alike.
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