SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot flights will operate from the new Terminal 5 at Changi Airport when it opens.

The new terminal will handle about 50 million passengers a year when its first phase opens in the mid-2030s, said Changi Airport Group (CAG) in a press release for the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday (May 14).

In a statement on Wednesday, Singapore Airlines Group said it will consolidate SIA and Scoot operations under one roof at the new terminal when it opens, “providing space for our future growth and enhancing operational synergies”.

The group will move out of Terminals 1, 2 and 3 when it relocates to Terminal 5.

In the meantime, SIA Group will "continue to invest in its existing operations" at the three terminals, the company said.

“We are committed to working closely with Changi Airport Group to ensure that Terminal 5 provides a world-class ground experience for customers when they arrive, depart, or transit through our home base,” it added.

In terms of land area, Terminal 5 will be as big as all of the current terminals combined, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday.

SIA's operations are currently split across three terminals, but with Terminal 5's opening, all its flights can be consolidated, he added.

"T5 will be the new home for SIA," said Mr Wong.

The SIA group also welcomed Changi Airport’s expansion.

“This will further strengthen Singapore’s position as a key global air hub, bolstering the country’s long-term connectivity and attractiveness as an international city,” it said.

Terminal 5 was first announced in 2013, and the project was paused for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new terminal will be powered by “state-of-the-art airport systems and extensive automation”, which will allow Changi Airport to significantly increase its handling capacity and optimise its operations, CAG said on Wednesday.

Terminal 5 will also house a ground transportation centre, with bus, train, taxi and other transport services.

There are plans to extend the Thomson-East Coast and Cross Island lines to Terminal 5 to connect it to Singapore’s city centre and "other major hubs".

SIA and Scoot flights to operate out of Changi Airport Terminal 5 when it opens