SINGAPORE: Singapore will start building a new mega airport at Changi next year. The Terminal 5 airport will allow another 50 million passengers a year once fully operational in the mid-2030s.

It will also solidify Singapore’s position as an aviation hub and serve more than 200 destinations, up from its current 150.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said, “We will break ground for the construction of T5 in the first half of next year.” He was speaking at a dinner on Sept 6 celebrating the 40th anniversary of the country’s civil aviation authority.

Wong added that the airport had recovered to almost where it was pre-pandemic in the first half of the year. It is also the busiest airport in Southeast Asia, handling some 60 million passengers.

Singapore is not the only country that has increased its airport capacity, as other regional cities have also started to do so. Vietnam is making a new airport near Ho Chi Minh City to serve more than 100 million passengers.

Hong Kong is spending over $18 billion to expand its international hub.

Speaking about other airports, Wong said, “Some have announced plans for mega airports that can handle more than...