Singapore Changi Airport has announced a series of infrastructure investments over the next six years, including upgrades for check-in, baggage handling, immigration and intra-terminal Skytrain connections, which the airport operator says will help it remain competitive ahead of Terminal 5’s grand opening in the mid-2030s.

While that of course sounds like good news, there’s always a cost to bear with projects like this.

The S$3 billion investment will be recouped from passengers and airlines, in the form of increased fees taking effect each year between April 2025 and April 2030, many of which will hike the cash cost of miles redemptions.

That will see each departing KrisFlyer award ticket from Singapore attract cash fees of at least S$79.20 by April 2030, a 21% increase on today’s S$65.20 rate.

Changi Airport fee increases

For most of our readers who start their journey at Changi Airport, there are three ‘taxes’ built into your ticket price, and these are directly payable to the airline in the case of an award ticket.

Prior to COVID-19, and right through the pandemic itself until November 2022, these three fees added S$53.10 to your award cost when booking a KrisFlyer redemption.

Since April 2024, that’s been hiked to S$65.20, as shown below:

• Passenger Service and Security Fee (PSSF)
  Now: S$46.40
• Aviation Levy (AL)
  Now: S$8.00
• Airport Development Levy (ADL)
  Now: S$10.80

You’ll no doubt be aware of these charges, when booking a KrisFlyer award redemption departing from Changi.

The good news is this tax rate will remain the same for over two years, between now and 31st March 2027.

However, increases do begin from April 2027, which will directly impact your award redemption costs ex-Singapore, as shown in the following table.

Changi Airport Departure Fees per originating passenger
Period	PSSF	AL	ADL	Total
Now Mar 2027	S$46.40	S$8.00	S$10.80	S$65.20
Apr 2027 Mar 2028	S$49.40	S$10.00	S$10.80	S$70.20
Apr 2028 Mar 2029	S$52.40	S$10.00	S$10.80	S$73.20
Apr 2029 Mar 2030	S$55.40	S$10.00	S$10.80	S$76.20
Apr 2030 onwards	S$58.40	S$10.00	S$10.80	S$79.20

Do note that these are the minimum taxes and fees you’ll pay on top of your KrisFlyer award ticket, though they do apply to most destinations.

However, some countries and airports charge arrival taxes (yes, they charge you for the privilege of arriving, as well as whacking you again when you depart!).

This is rare, but on the current Singapore Airlines network it applies in:

• Australia
  Extra S$29-S$40, depending on arrival airport
• Myanmar
  Extra S$4
• New Zealand
  Extra S$44-S$52, depending on arrival airport
• Thailand
  Extra S$2
• United Arab Emirates
  Extra S$2
• United States
  Extra S$24

Thankfully Singapore Changi Airport is not proposing any additional fees for arriving passengers, even with these latest increases.

Transit passengers take a hit

While those originating in Singapore will be paying an extra S$14 per passenger in taxes and fees by April 2030, a 21% increase, it’s actually transit passengers who will arguably be hit hardest by Changi’s newly-announced charge hikes.

Currently, those in transit (who do not clear immigration in Singapore and simply remain airside at Changi prior to their next flight) pay only S$9 per trip through the airport.

That’s set to increase substantially, and even sooner than it is for those originating in Singapore, with a progressive hike of 133% to S$21 per trip between April 2025 and April 2030.

In fairness, this charge has been left unchanged since 2015, and was probably due for an increase.

The impact here kicks off less than five months from now – in April 2025 – as shown in the following table.

Changi Airport Transit Fees per transit passenger
Period	PSSF	ADL	Total
Now Mar 2025	S$6.00	S$3.00	S$9.00
Apr 2025 Mar 2026	S$9.00	S$3.00	S$12.00
Apr 2026 Mar 2027	S$12.00	S$3.00	S$15.00
Apr 2027 Mar 2028	S$15.00	S$3.00	S$18.00
Apr 2028 Mar 2029	S$16.00	S$3.00	S$19.00
Apr 2029 Mar 2030	S$17.00	S$3.00	S$20.00
Apr 2030 onwards	S$18.00	S$3.00	S$21.00

These increases will of course also affect KrisFlyer award tickets on transit routings through Changi, but that won’t be an issue for most of our readers, who are simply redeeming solely to or from Singapore itself.

Landing charges also increasing

As part of this announcement, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) has also revealed that airlines will pay higher fees for Landing, Parking and Aerobridge use (so-called LPA charges), from April 2025.

“The LPA charge for a narrow-body A320 aircraft, presently around S$1,200 per landing, will increase annually by an average of S$110 per landing for the first three years, and an average of about S$65 per landing for the next three years. The LPA charge for a wide-body A350 aircraft, presently around S$3,600, will increase annually by an average of S$290 per landing for the first three years, and an average of about S$190 per landing for the next three years.”

Changi Airport Group

These increases may seem irrelevant to passengers, but ultimately airlines must pass on these costs to customers in the form of increased ticket prices, in the same way increased taxes and fees must also ultimately be borne by consumers.

What’s the money for?

Singapore’s Airport Development Levy (ADL) is already designed to fund the new Terminal 5 development over at Changi East, which will open around a decade from now, so what are these 2025-2030 fee increases for exactly?

Well, CAG says the increases are necessary for the following reasons:

• to fund new investments at the airport, to help it stay competitive and meet rising demand for air travel
• to cater for higher operating costs, including for manpower and energy
• to take into consideration earlier investments made during the COVID-19 pandemic, when charges were frozen for two years

Specific investments CAG points to that form part of this S$3 billion commitment include:

• Rejuvenation of Skytrain subsystems
  Some of the airport’s inter-terminal Skytrain systems are nearing end-of-life, and will be upgraded. New vehicles will also be added to provide additional capacity, ahead of a full system overhaul in the late 2030s.

• Upgrading of Baggage Handling and Conveyance Systems
  The Airport will upgrade its Terminal 3 Baggage Handling System to enhance capacity, energy efficiency and resilience. A new rooftop Inter-Terminal Baggage Conveyance System connecting Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 will also be constructed.
• More check-in rows at Terminal 4
  A new check-in row at Terminal 4, which will increase the terminal’s check-in capacity by about 15% and allow it to accommodate up to 2,500 passengers per hour.

• Expansion of Terminal 1 Arrival Immigration Halls
  The capacity of Terminal 1’s East and West Arrival Immigration Halls will be expanded by almost 60%.

• Strengthening of airside infrastructure
  Some taxiways need to be reinforced and contact stands upgraded to accommodate upcoming Boeing 777-9 aircraft.

• Construction of new airside facilities
  More remote aircraft parking stands for both passenger and cargo aircraft will be constructed, bringing the total number of aircraft stands to more than 200. A taxiway will also be extended to connect these facilities to the rest of the airport.

• Refurbishment of Terminal 3
  CAG is planning to rejuvenate the systems and terminal facilities at Terminal 3, which opened in 2008 and will be more than 20 years old by 2030. It will be an opportunity to elevate the passenger experience and expand Changi’s retail offerings.

Singapore Changi Airport is increasing its passenger charges for those departing from the Lion City by 21% over the next few years.

This will of course affect all air tickets, but if you’re booking an award flight the pain is more glaring, because these taxes are paid directly on top of your miles outlay, including for KrisFlyer redemptions.

The money raised through these fee increases is slated to improve the airport’s infrastructure in several areas, though perhaps most interestingly for our readers the nearly two-decade-old Terminal 3 is next in line for a facelift.

(Cover Photo: Changi Airport Group)