Changi Airport is more than just a gateway to the world; it’s a destination in its own right. Tucked away in the east of Singapore, Changi Airport has earned its reputation as the most awarded airport, not just for its efficiency but for the unparalleled experiences it offers to travellers.
Imagine stepping into an airport that offers a wide variety of cuisines, luxury boutiques, creature comforts and entertainment, where the boundaries between nature and architecture blur seamlessly. You might be familiar with Jewel Changi Airport, a breathtaking dome of glass and steel that houses the Jewel Rain Vortex, which is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.
Anchoring the picturesque facade of Jewel is the Changi Airport Control Tower, which is a famous landmark in itself. However, did you know that the airport has more than one control tower? Here are a few lesser-known facts about these control towers that might surprise you.
1. Built in 1981, the Changi Control Tower is the highest point of the airport
The Changi Control Tower is more than 40 years old and handles as many as 1,000 aircraft movements a day. Situated between Runway 1 and Runway 2, it is the highest point of Changi Airport at 81 metres above mean sea level. Its high vantage point enables air traffic controllers to direct and control aircraft movements confidently.
The top three storeys, which form the core of this tower, were first constructed on the ground and then lifted to fit onto the base. This was done so that the 1,300-tonne core structure could be built simultaneously and stacked gradually, at six metres per day.
2. Not all air traffic controllers work from the Changi Control Tower
The iconic Changi Control Tower provides aerodrome control service to landing and departing aircraft at Changi Airport, as well as to aircraft manoeuvring within the tarmac of the airport. However, it is not the only air traffic control facility in Singapore.
Unknown to many, Changi Airport also has a 68m-tall ramp control tower near Terminal 4 that enhances the air traffic controllers’ visual line of sight for visibility of aircraft parking stands and taxiways near the southern ends of Runways 1 and 2. From this tower, air traffic controllers provide clearance to pilots on when they can push back from the gates, and give instructions on which taxiway to use.
Nearby, the Singapore Air Traffic Control Centre (SATCC) provides Approach and Area Control services to aircraft operating in Singapore's Flight Information Region. This means that SATCC is responsible for guiding and overseeing the safe movement of all aircraft entering, departing, or transiting Singapore airspace. The centre was opened in 1981 with the introduction of the Long Range Radar and Display System that allows SATCC to monitor and control air traffic over a larger area, enhancing safety and efficiency of air travel in and around Singapore.
3. The “golf ball” dome structure at the top of the tower protects radar equipment
The official name of this “golf ball” is the Radome. The Radome contains a surface movement radar that tracks the movement of vehicles within the aerodrome, and its sphere protects the radar equipment from the weather and environment.
The old Radome was replaced by a new one in 2015, and you can watch its refurbishment in this video below.
4. The Changi Control Tower has won prestigious awards for its design
In 1975, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew made the decision to build a new airport that was to be five times larger than Paya Lebar Airport.
A competition was held among architects of the Public Works Department, in order to select the best design for Changi Airport’s control tower. It was built at a cost of S$8.4 million, and the structure has since clinched prestigious awards from institutions like the American Concrete Institute in 1985, which lauded the control tower for its creative use of concrete.
Image credit: Monetary Authority of Singapore
Upon the completion of the Changi Control Tower and Changi Airport, hundreds of thousands of visitors were attracted to come see it. In fact, the airport and its instantly recognisable tower became popular icons of Singapore and were featured on the reverse side of the now-defunct S$20 note.
5. Singapore Changi Airport operates 24/7, and so does the Changi Control Tower
Some airports like Frankfurt Airport and Fukuoka Airport close at night due to the restriction on noise levels at their surrounding areas. Changi Airport and its control tower, however, never sleep. Flights arrive in and depart from Changi Airport around the clock, and fly to over 400 cities in more than 100 countries.
Changi Airport has been praised for its efficiency and high service standards, and is so much more than an airport, treating guests to a bevy of epicurean, retail and entertainment experiences. This comprehensive venue even has a selection of hotels and shower facilities. If you’d like to indulge in this array of experiences, consider checking in early before your next flight.
Click here to discover idyllic getaways that Scoot has started flying directly to with its latest Embraer jets, and click here to read about how Changi Airport is implementing passport-less immigration.
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