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Dave

‘A Sunflower Sojourn’ transforms Changi Airport with more than 5,000 sunflowers

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Changi Airport has transformed into a floral spectacle with its first-ever flower-themed showcase, ‘A Sunflower Sojourn’, featuring over 5,000 sunflowers in more than 20 locations across all four terminals until 30th September.

The showcase, the largest of its kind ever held in an airport, includes stunning displays of sunflowers from classic bright yellow varieties like ‘Sunrise’ to rare breeds such as the red and yellow ‘Florenza’ and pastel pink ‘Strawberry Blonde’.

These blooms, meticulously cultivated in Changi Airport’s own plant nursery, are exhibited both indoors and outdoors, extending to Hub & Spoke.

Sunflower Display: Vibrant blooms across terminals.
Pics: Changi Airport Group

Visitors can enjoy captivating floral displays at the Departure Halls of Terminals 2 and 3, where sunflower topiary sculptures tower at five and eight metres tall, respectively.

This celebration of sunflowers is particularly significant for Changi Airport, which has been associated with these radiant flowers since the opening of the Sunflower Garden at Terminal 2 in 2002.

Mr Ang Siew Min, Senior Vice President of Airport Operations Development, Changi Airport Group said

Our lush gardens at Changi Airport have always been more than just a feature – they are an experience that embodies the warmth and hospitality of our airport.

We are thrilled to unveil this vibrant Sunflower Sojourn display as an extension of the Sunflower Garden to other parts of the airport.

Beyond their bright and cheerful appeal, sunflowers have been significant in various cultural, artistic, and ecological contexts. Visitors can learn about their influence on art, from poetry and painting to their vital role in the ecosystem and their diverse human uses, such as in agriculture, where sunflower seeds are an essential crop. Used for animal feed, snacks and the production of sunflower oil, sunflowers have remained a valuable resource for over 3,000 years.

Additionally, Changi Airport offers exclusive sunflower-themed merchandise, including the limited-edition Buddy bear in a sunflower outfit, pens, coasters, and more, available at Terminal 3’s Main Event Outpost and themed vending machines. Transit passengers can also participate in sunflower-themed activities, such as paper sunflower-making workshops and temporary tattoo stickers, scheduled over select weekends in Terminals 1 and 3.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management, commented,

This unique showcase at Changi Airport offers UK-based business travellers a refreshing and memorable experience during their journey. It’s a fantastic opportunity to enjoy something extraordinary while travelling, reflecting Changi’s commitment to customer delight.

For those visiting Hub & Spoke, sunflower-inspired dishes, including sunflower-flavoured soft-serve yoghurt and sunflower butter toast, are also available, offering a delightful treat to complement the floral displays.

If you plan to experience ‘A Sunflower Sojourn’ at Changi Airport, please contact your Global Travel Management Account Manager.

Dave

Changi re-opens T2

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Changi Airport Group has announced that operations in Terminal 2 will resume on 29 May 2022, the first phase of the terminal’s reopening as the airport prepares to meet the expected increase in passenger traffic in the months ahead.

Closed for upgrading works since May 2020, T2’s phased reopening will expand Changi’s capacity. When completed by 2024, the expansion works will raise the terminal’s capacity by five million to 28 million passenger movements per year.

In this first phase of T2’s progressive reopening, key touchpoints such as arrival immigration, baggage claim belts and contact gates at the southern wing of the terminal will be ready for flight operations.

T2 will host mainly peak-hour arrival flights of airlines operating in Terminal 3.

A small number of T3 departure flights may use boarding gates at T2 although passengers on these flights will continue to check in and clear departure immigration at T3.

The expanded T2 will see a larger Arrival Immigration Hall with more automated immigration lanes and special assistance lanes.

The automated immigration lanes will serve Singaporeans and residents who have enrolled their iris and facial biometrics with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, as well as eligible foreign visitors who have done the same upon their arrival in Singapore.

The airport claims that, ‘as more passengers are enrolled, the number of automated immigration lanes will be increased. As for the special assistance lanes, these feature a wider width than conventional lanes, allowing passengers with mobility aids, as well as big family groups, to clear immigration more easily’.

In the Baggage Claim Hall, there will be three collection belts, with one that has been lengthened to handle more bags.

Mr Tan Lye Teck, CAG’s Executive Vice President of Airport Management, said

CAG is encouraged to see the strong pickup in travel demand and has worked closely with our partners to bring forward the progressive reopening of T2 ahead of the June travel peak to meet this demand.

The start of flight operations at T2 will provide more capacity to support our airline partners, who are also gearing up to serve more passengers in the months ahead. T2 will reopen in phases over the next two years to support Changi’s recovery as a regional air hub.

Dave

Changi Airport holds first in-person airline awards ceremony after two-year hiatus

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More than 120 representatives from 71 airlines spanning 36 countries converged in Singapore for the annual Changi Airlines Awards after a two-year hiatus.

The event, which celebrates the year’s achievements and recognises airline partners’ contributions to the Changi air hub, was last held in 2019 but suspended in the following years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Presentation: Minister S Iswaran presenting an award to Dharminder Hunjan from Gulf Air

A total of 34 awards across three categories were given during the three-hour evening event held at Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore.

The Resilience Award was presented to 25 airlines who have continued to fly to and operate from Changi Airport throughout the pandemic.

The Connectivity Award was presented to two airlines for launching new city links.

Seven airlines were also conferred the New Airline Award from Guest-of-Honour Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S Iswaran.

Passenger traffic at Changi Airport spiked from under 15% of pre-Covid levels in February this year to close to 40%.

82 airlines operate over 3,300 weekly scheduled flights at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to some 125 cities in 47 countries and territories worldwide.