Singapore Opens New $1.22 Billion "Green" Airport Terminal

According to a Reuters (www.reuters.com) news report, on Wednesday, January 9, Singapore opened its first new "green" airport terminal. This (USD) $1.22 billion state-owned Changi airport terminal welcomed passengers who traveled from San Francisco to Singapore on the very first flight into the new terminal. This first flight into the new green Singapore airport terminal was met by an impressive welcoming committee including Singaporean government ministers.

The new green Singapore airport terminal boasts 28 aerobridge gates, eight of which are designed to handle the Airbus A380, which is to date the world's largest passenger jet.

What makes this new Singapore airport terminal "green"?

Consider the following:

Singapore Airport New Green Feature #1: Skylights and Strategically Placed Air Conditioning Vents for Energy Saving

The new green Singapore airport terminal has skylights for the purpose of saving energy. The 919 skylights provide natural lighting. Additionally, the air conditioning vents have been strategically placed closer to floor level, which will provide maximum comfort to airport visitors for minimal cost.

Of course, the cost to run the new green airport terminal is hoped to be lower, but a spokesman from the Civil Aviation Authority who manages the airport says that at this point, it is too early to make any cost saving projections.

Singapore Airport New Green Feature #2: Enough Foliage to Cover 50 Soccer Fields

This new Singapore airport terminal also has enough foliage to cover 50 soccer fields. The variety of foliage, over 200 species, may be diverse enough to make a trip to the airport feel like a trip to a botanical garden. It is probably hard not to notice the plants, as the hanging plants are displayed on a five-story wall. This is very fitting in Singapore, a city-state which is known not only for clean streets, but as a garden city as well.

Singapore Airport New Green Features #3: A Butterfly Garden and Koi Ponds

Additionally, the new Singapore green airport terminal boasts a butterfly garden and koi fish ponds. These two features, in addition to the wall of hanging plants, are enough to make me want to visit the new, green Singapore airport terminal.

Singapore's place in Asia travel

Singapore, a small island nation, is one of the primary hubs of travel throughout Asia. Singapore is in competition against Hong Kong and Bangkok to be the top aviation hub in that part of the world. In addition to being very nice, this new, green Singapore airport terminal ups Changi airport's capacity by about 45 percent, which is significant since there are predictions that travel in this part of the world will be expanding.

Of course, environmentalists aren't too happy about booming air travel anywhere in the world, including Asia, as increased air travel is linked to greenhouse emissions. However, since air travel is unlikely to go away or even decrease any time soon, green airports such as the new green airport terminal in Singapore may be a step in the right direction.

Source: Reuters News: Singapore Opens "Green" Airport Terminal by Daniel Loo http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINSIN17694220080109?rpc=611&sp=true