To check its preparedness, Changi Airport conducted full-dress rehearsal for operations at Terminal 4 (T4) today prior to commencing its operations at the terminal on October 31.
About 1,500 airport staff, commercial tenants, and volunteers, which included members of the public participated in the rehearsal which allowed the participants to test the terminal’s systems: from checking in, clearing immigration, going through security screenings to final checks before boarding an aircraft.
A fire evacuation exercise, as well as the transfer of assets and equipment, was also carried out.
Changi Airport Group (CAG) has also tested all fire systems (e.g. alarms and sprinklers) as part of its preparations for T4’s opening. The terminal is designed with a full suite of fire detection and protection measures, such as smoke control and exhaust systems, emergency communication systems, as well as fire hydrants for the main terminal building and adjacent ancillary buildings.
About eight fire drills involving over 7,800 participants have been conducted at the terminal so far, to ensure that staff working in the terminal are familiar with fire safety measures.
Various staff-centric amenities have been incorporated in the terminal for a more conducive working environment for the airport community. These include ergonomically-designed work stations, dumbwaiters at aircraft stands, and staff lounges. About 3,000 staff from the airport community will work at T4, once all nine airlines have moved in.
Beginning October 31, about nine airlines – Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, Korean Air, Spring Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, and four others from the AirAsia Group – will progressively shift their operations to T4 over the course of one week.
Tan Lye Teck, CAG’s Executive Vice President, Airport Management, said, “We are pleased to share that all preparations are in place for T4 to commence operations on 31 October. We would like to extend our deep appreciation to our airline and airport partners and to the Changi community for their steadfast partnership in this journey. We look forward to welcoming our first passengers to T4 next week.”
T4 has undergone all inspections and audits by relevant agencies. It received its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) in December 2016. The two-storey building has also been accorded the Green Mark Gold Plus and Universal Accessibility awards by the Building & Construction Authority.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force has assessed T4 to be fit and safe for occupancy.