Confusion as Budget Terminal hands over operations

SINGAPORE: There was slight confusion as Singapore’s Budget Terminal closed early Tuesday morning and handed over operations to Changi Airport’s Terminal 2.

Some were wrongly informed that their flight would depart from Terminal 2, even before the Budget Terminal closed.

The miscommunication was a bump on the runway for an otherwise smooth transition of low—cost carriers from one complex to another.

Sarah Lee sent her maid, who was flying to Manila, to Terminal 2. But the aircraft was actually departing from the Budget Terminal.

The airline, Cebu Pacific, had wrongly indicated in the flight itinerary that Terminal 2 was where the plane would take off.

"They should put a tape over the Cebu (check—in counter), for three hours or four hours, so that we won’t go there and they should have informed the passengers!" she suggested.

Ms Poh Li San, who oversees the Budget Terminal’s operations, said: "We actually have tried our best to bring in passengers who mistakenly went to Terminal 2 and made sure that they are able to catch the same flight to Manila from Budget Terminal."

Passengers on the last flight out of the facility at 12.40am had mixed feelings about the no—frills terminal’s closure.

"(The Budget Terminal was a) very smooth, very efficient, very fantastic terminal," commented a passenger. "It’s a shame it’s closing."

Others, however, preferred Terminal 2 for its many duty—free shops.

With low—cost flights shifted to Terminal 2, adjustments have been made to accommodate an expected extra five million yearly passengers from the Budget Terminal.

Taxi bays have increased from 12 to 15. Check—in counters dedicated to budget carriers like Tiger Airways have been set up.

"There’ll be more facilities, more amenities, more shopping, more retail, that’re available for our passengers," said Mr Koay Peng Yen, the budget carrier’s group chief executive.

The first budget flight landed at Terminal 2 from Perth at 3am, marking the end of the Budget Terminal era.

— CNA/xq