Until an amicable agreement is reached through discussions, Jetstar has no intentions of moving to Terminal 4.
It's been a little over a month since low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia expressed disappointment at Changi Airport Group's (CAG) decision for the airline to move to Singapore's Changi International Airport Terminal 4 from its current operations in Terminal 1 and partly in Terminal 2. With the fourth terminal opening in about two weeks, it remains uncertain if Jetstar wishes to make the transition by the given deadline of October 25th.
During a media tour of the soon-to-be-reopened terminal on August 30th, Singapore's Transport Minister S Iswaran said Jetstar and CAG are still in mutual discussions. Both parties are fleshing out scenarios to seek a win-win outcome, to ensure that the low-cost carrier's operations stay fluidly effective while minimizing disruptions, and are not committing to any timelines. Iswaran said:
"Ensuring that passengers' needs are met and that Jetstar can function effectively is “not just Jetstar’s objective, it's also CAG’s objective. It is important to do this well rather than do it fast. Even if it means taking a little bit more time but ensuring that all the key elements are taken care of well, to the reasonable satisfaction of all the parties involved.”
According to CAG, the airport operator has been engaging with Jetstar about the move to Terminal 4 since 2019, when all terminals within Changi Airport were quickly filling up due to soaring passenger traffic amidst pre-pandemic demand for air travel. Moving Jetstar to the fourth terminal was supposedly the only option that would allow efficient and optimal use of the aircraft gates within the airport.
Currently, most low-cost carriers reside at Terminal 1 alongside some full-cost carriers. Though some of the terminal's gates can accommodate two narrowbodies, not all gates are equipped with that flexibility as the terminal was not built exclusively for such aircraft. And with Terminal 2 only partially reopened, this becomes a cumulative problem during peak hours as Terminal 1 becomes increasingly congested, and CAG wishes to keep the first terminal free for as many widebodies as possible.
With post-pandemic passenger traffic quickly rebounding and the year-end holidays approaching, CAG emphasizes a need to critically rebalance the airport's traffic numbers across all four terminals to ensure an ideal flow of operations for all airlines. Jetstar currently operates an all-Airbus A320 narrowbody fleet, so Terminal 4 and its 17 aircraft gates would be ideal to accommodate the low-cost carrier.
While CAG's reasoning makes sense, relocating to another terminal is quite a hassle, especially a move to Terminal 4. Despite being a low-cost carrier, Jetstar has some prominent codeshares with airlines such as Qantas and Emirates, but its airline partners still reside in the three main terminals. If Jetstar continues operations in Terminals 1 and 2, passengers can connect to their next flight quicker between the codeshare partners within walking distance or by using the intra-terminal Skytrain services.
Then again, can't they connect the same via Terminal 4? Unfortunately, no. Unlike the three main passenger terminals in Changi Airport, the fourth terminal sits more as a satellite terminal with no convenient access, except for a shuttle bus service available only on the landside. The addition to the transfer and, potentially, to the turn-around times becomes costly for the low-cost carrier, and passengers could also suffer from increased missed connections, which then leads to higher passenger dissatisfaction.
Moving to a different terminal would also mean additional time for the airline staff to re-familiarise themselves with their new surroundings, resulting in lengthy and costly re-training. Considering the move can be equally confusing for passengers, Jetstar might also have to throw in extra costs for hiring new staff to facilitate the flow better for passengers with onward connections, making a move even more complex.
Until an amicable agreement is reached, Jetstar has no intentions of moving to Terminal 4, given the various inconveniences. Hopefully, the talks with CAG are going well, as the airport operator mentioned it would provide special provisions for Jetstar passengers wherever possible. However, it would be interesting to see how the airport operator would ensure that Jetstar can continue a permanent and long-term smooth flow between aircraft, passengers, and terminals, with or without special provisions.
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Source: Yahoo News
Journalist – Charlotte is currently pursuing a full-time undergraduate degree majoring in Aviation Business Administration and minoring in Air Traffic Management. Charlotte previously wrote for AirlineGeeks. Based in Singapore.