SINGAPORE – Some $4 billion will be invested over the next 15 years to overhaul Singapore’s air navigation services, including air traffic control systems, with the renovation of Changi Airport’s iconic control tower forming part of the upgrade.
The investment is aimed at meeting growing demand for air travel and strengthening Singapore’s position as a global aviation hub, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) director-general Han Kok Juan said on July 22.
The International Civil Aviation Organization projects that global air passenger traffic will nearly triple over the next 25 years, with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for about half of that growth.
CAAS will refurbish the iconic Changi Control Tower and upgrade the Singapore Air Traffic Control Centre (SATCC) to accommodate new systems that will support future growth.
As Singapore builds capacity on the ground to handle rising passenger traffic, “it is important that we also build capacity in the skies, so that we are able to provide smoother, safer and more sustainable air services to travellers”, said Han at a press conference at the airport.
He added that this would strengthen Singapore’s position to capture the opportunities that aviation brings to the country and the companies based here.
While the tower, at about 80m tall, is the airport’s most recognisable landmark, not all air traffic controllers work there. Some are based at the SATCC near Changi Village, managing aircraft during the climb, cruise and descent phases of flight.
The Changi tower will be renovated to house new systems, with works including a new facade and the construction of an annex between the tower and Jewel Changi Airport.
Work will begin in November and be completed by the end of 2028. During this time, the tower will be covered with scaffolding and an aesthetic mesh.
Han said the tower was last upgraded in 1997, when its exterior was reclad. Recladding is a process that replaces a building’s facade.
There have been issues with parts of the facade dropping off and posing safety concerns, Han said, when explaining why it had to be refurbished.
Meanwhile, CAAS is building a new SATCC complex at its current site to house next-generation air navigation systems, while ensuring uninterrupted 24/7 operations.
The project is being done in phases. The first phase, comprising new electrical substations and a multi-storey carpark, has been completed. The second phase, which started in 2025 and is due to be completed by end-2028, will add new operations, equipment and maintenance rooms, as well as improved staff facilities.
The upgrades will support Changi Airport’s transition to three-runway operations by the end of the decade, when the third runway opens for civil aircraft use. This will increase the airport’s flight-handling capacity, and improve the safety and efficiency of air traffic in the region, Han said.
Expanding the workforce, upgrading systems
The opening of Changi Airport Terminal 5 in the mid-2030s, together with the wider Changi East development, will nearly double the airport’s size and increase its annual passenger-handling capacity from 90 million to 140 million.
To support this growth, CAAS will increase its workforce of about 500 air traffic controllers by around 40 per cent to about 700 by the mid-2030s.
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