![Changi Airport's magnificent new Jewel development will have a five-storey garden and waterfall.](/content/dam/images/g/t/e/1/j/a/image.related.afrArticleLead.620x350.gte1kr.png/1482237679857.jpg)
Being eaten by wild animals is something I usually avoid, but faced with spare time at Changi Airport, it seemed reasonable. The Fish Spa at Terminal One's 24-hour wellness centre is just one of the attractions at this venerable airport, familiar to many of us as the long-time Asian hub for Qantas, and the first stop on the kangaroo route to Europe.
While Dubai might have stolen some of its thunder, 54.5 million passengers passed through Changi last year along with 1.85 million tonnes of cargo. With nearly 7000 flights a week, it's the seventh busiest airport in the world, according to Airports Council International.
Bankrolled by the Singaporean government, Changi is consistently voted as one of the world's top airports – an achievement that is a source of national pride. It has worked hard to establish itself as a retail hub for locals, with an aggressive policy of offering the lowest duty-free prices and knocking 7 per cent off retail on the landside. Total retail concession space in terminals is 76,000 square metres, with another 50,000 in transit malls on the airside.
Changi also has a special significance for Australians: since Terminal One opened in 1981 on reclaimed land, its regular upgrades have kept pace with the zeitgeist, allowing us to track global trends in airport planning.
![An aerial impression of Jewel Changi Airport.](/content/dam/images/g/t/e/1/j/5/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1482113654194.jpg)
1991 was the era of gaming stations, orchids, a cinema and internet kiosks (Terminal Two). Terminal Three went green luxe in 2008 with natural light, fresh air, gardens, Singapore Airlines' first-class check-in hall and a five-star Crowne Plaza – a subdued urban oasis amid the chaos of service roads and runways.
Now Changi is in the middle of another big spending phase. Construction of Terminal Four is complete (opening late 2017), boosting capacity by 26 million passengers a year. Expect more self-service and automated options plus centralised screening, rather than screening at the departure gate.
2019 will see the culmination of the $S1.7 billion Jewel project: a massive glass biodome taking shape in the heart of the airport. Designed by the architect of the Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino, it will be a spectacular 10-storey (five below ground) complex linking all the terminals and featuring a jungle and a 40-metre high waterfall. There will also be a new hotel, dining and shopping outlets and a park of 13,000 square metres with walking trails and playgrounds.
Within Jewel will be a multi-modal transport lounge catering to fly-cruise and fly-coach passengers. This facility will offer dedicated services for these passengers, such as ticketing, issuance of boarding passes and baggage transfer services. This will allow Changi to leverage new opportunities such as the growth of Singapore as a regional cruise centre.
Finally, Changi will be approaching capacity of 135 million when it opens Terminal 5, planned for the late 2020s. To be known as Changi East, it will be one of the largest terminals in the world, capable of handling 50 million passengers on its own.
![Changi Jewel will offer world-class retail options.](/content/dam/images/g/t/e/1/i/t/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1482113636343.jpg)
So, if in the next 10 years you find yourself in Changi with nothing to do, there may be a few more options than having your feet nibbled by fish. For the record, my feet end up smooth and soft, with no visible bite marks – though one of those little guys sure looked the type.