Changi T5 will create new jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans: PM Wong

Local companies already involved in complex engineering project, he says

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan and Esther Loi

The development of Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5) – a "bold move" to keep the Singapore air hub competitive – will raise demand for services and workers, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

"This will provide more jobs for Singaporeans, requiring skill sets in new areas like data science, robotics and sustainability," he said on May 14 at the T5 ground-breaking ceremony, which marks the start of construction on the mega terminal in Changi East.

T5 is slated to open in the mid-2030s.

"The construction itself of T5 is a significant, complex engineering project," said PM Wong, adding that Singapore businesses will have the chance to take part in the process. Some of these companies are already involved in the works.

"Like our forefathers who chose to build Changi, we dare to dream big and aim high today," PM Wong added.

He said the country plans for the long term and has built up the resources needed to invest in T5 and turn its plans into reality.

PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said T5, which was mooted in 2013, will be a multi-year project, spanning many terms of government.