A very good morning to you. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of Changi’s Annual Airport Celebration.
Highs and Lows of Decade Past
2 A new year is a good time for new beginnings, and this time also marks the end of the first decade of the 21st century. In retrospect, the decade past has been a bittersweet one for aviation with its fair share of high and low points. Events such as the September 11 attacks in 2001, the SARS outbreak in 2003, and the recent global financial meltdown had severely upset the air travel sector. Then there was the dramatic increase in fuel prices, which at its 2008 peak cost three times as much as it did in 2000. While some airlines were badly hit, the decade also saw the rapid growth of low-cost carriers, and gave impetus to some cost saving measures and initiatives which have transformed air travel worldwide.
3 Despite the challenging operating environment, Changi has remained resilient and even managed to thrive. Changi’s passenger traffic grew by over 11 million in the past decade, a 43% increase. Changi also pressed on with the upgrading of Terminal 2 and the opening of the Budget Terminal and Terminal 3 in 2006 and 2008 respectively to further improve its infrastructure to support the airlines and better serve travellers. This has helped Changi to maintain its position as a premier air hub in the world, attested by the 339 accolades that it has garnered to date.
4 We have also gone ahead to corporatise the management of ChangiAirport and restructure the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). While there was no urgency to corporatise immediately, the impetus was to allow for sharper focus and greater flexibility over the longer term, which would enable CAAS and Changi Airport Group (CAG) to better meet future challenges. The smooth corporatisation exercise, done without any disruptions to airport operations, is a commendable achievement by CAAS and CAG staff as well as all their airport partners and I thank all of you for it.
Continued Pursuit in Enhancing Changi as a Premier Air Hub
5 Continuing with its pursuit to enhance Singapore as a premier air hub, Changi welcomed eight new airlines into its family last year. Today, the airport serves 85 airlines operating 5,012 flights a week and connects Singapore to a record 201 cities. Compared to 2008, the number of scheduled flights operating out of Changi in 2009 had risen by 5%.
6 To encourage travellers in the region to travel to and through Singapore, CAG embarked on joint marketing campaigns with local carriers like Tiger Airways and SilkAir. It also worked with foreign carriers such as Xiamen Airlines and China Southern Airlines to develop passenger traffic from secondary cities in China. I am also pleased to note that CAG has also launched the Changi Airport Growth Initiative (CAGi), under which CAG will work closely with its partners to promote growth in passenger and cargo traffic, as well as develop innovative solutions that will further enhance the Changi Experience. Upgrading of Terminal 1 is also currently in progress. When completed in 2011, it will integrate pleasant tropical aesthetics with Changi’s smooth passenger service.
Software Is Key
7 In an environment where airport users are becoming more discerning, it is important that service excellence continues to be a key focus of Changi to stay ahead. The “Changi Experience”, which marries the hardware with the software of service excellence and professionalism, has been Changi’s distinguishing trademark and key advantages over its peers. I am therefore encouraged to note that CAG, as one of the founding Customer-Centric Initiative (CCI) Icons of the "GEMS Up" movement, is continually working with its partners to improve service standards and striving to deliver a "Changi-Class" service experience to every passenger.
8 I would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s Changi Airport Service Awards. Every one of you epitomise the Service Awards’ hallmarks of Personal Touch, Service Partnership and Empathy. Your acts of service beyond the call of duty are the vital ingredients to creating a memorable and unforgettable "Changi-Class" experience for the passengers and visitors you have served. My heartiest congratulations and thanks to each one of you for your exemplary performance.
9 I would also like to thank the 28,000-strong team working at ChangiAirport for your hard work and effort in helping Changi to stay ahead of the competition the past year. The success of Changi has always been because of the teamwork between the airport, airlines and other airport partners. Your efforts are not forgotten.
A New Beginning
10 To reach an end is also to make a new beginning. We need to work together to ensure that the next decade in aviation will be even better than the past one. The year ahead will be yet another exciting one for the air travel sector as the economy recovers. The inaugural Youth Olympic Games, the 2010 Singapore Airshow and the opening of the integrated resorts in the coming months are just some of the events that will bring many visitors through ChangiAirport. I encourage every one of you in the airport community to continue to work together as a team with passion and integrity, and deliver your very best to every passenger that comes your way. In this way, I am sure you can bring ChangiAirport to ever greater heights.
11 Thank you.