SINGAPORE is closing their main airport’s terminal for 18 months as they warn that the travel industry won’t recover until next year.
Changi Airport, one of the largest in the world, will see terminal 2 closed from May 1 until the end of 2021.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
All operations from the terminal will now take place at the other three terminals to “save on running costs”.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan told local media that the airport would be able to cope when running everything through other terminals.
Passenger arrivals have dropped by 90 per cent since the coronavirus outbreak – with Mr Khaw adding he isn’t expecting a recovery until next year.
He explained: “While full recovery this year is unlikely, partial recovery next year is probable. We must be ready to lead and to ride the recovery when it happens.”
He added that we must “think about post-pandemic recovery”.
The UK government has warned against all but essential travel “indefinitely” in new advice from the Foreign Office, while airlines and travel agent begs for a bailout after losing millions since the pandemic.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab previously revealed that they are helping to secure flights with a number of countries including Australia, New Zealand and Peru along with Singapore.
However, flights across the world are being grounded and borders are being closed leading to thousands of travellers still stranded abroad.
UK airlines have stopped the majority of their aircraft from flying, with the majority of planes running repatriation flights only.
Changi Airport is often voted one of the best airports in the world.
Last year, they opened the huge new Jewel complex which features hundreds of shops, restaurants, a forest and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall – all spread over ten storeys.
A landscaped garden with two mazes, a fog garden and slides as well as a 50m Canopy walk way and butterfly garden are also part of the complex.
Singapore has remarkably low numbers of cases of coronavirus, with just 1,309 confirmed and six deaths.
Portugal is closing all of their airports for five days over Easter due to coronavirus.
Yet flights from coronavirus hot spots were still landing in Britain on Monday with thousands of passengers not being checked for symptoms.
