Budget airlines’ first day at Terminal 2 proceeds smoothly

SINGAPORE: Budget airlines operating at Singapore’s Changi Airport Terminal 2 saw smooth operations on the first day, after the Budget Terminal closed its doors on Tuesday morning.

Staff from Changi Airport were also ready to help anyone who was lost.

The biggest player, Tiger Airways, marked the first day of operations with some fanfare as it also celebrated its 8th birthday.

With the move to a full terminal, passengers now pay a higher service charge, which goes into the price of their tickets.

But the higher price is not an issue for some.

"It’s cleaner and more spacious," commented a tourist at Terminal 2.

"It’s more fun, (there are) more things to see and more things to do," commented a traveller, who also said that he was open to travelling to Singapore on both low—cost airlines and standard carriers.

Budget airlines operating from Terminal 2 may also face higher costs, such as additional charges for the use of aerobridges.

Tiger Airways says it is still firming up details with authorities.

But it is confident it will still be able to offer passengers value—for—money services, as it stands to achieve higher productivity at the new terminal.

"Hopefully (there will be) bigger (passenger) volumes for Tiger (Airways)," said Mr Koay Peng Yen, the budget carrier’s group chief executive.

"It’s not just a gross cost, but also how we can improve our efficiency and productivity and help us reduce the costs as well to be always ahead of the game."

— CNA/xq