By now you should know that shops are closing tomorrow for 4 weeks.
But I bet you didn’t know that an entire airport terminal is going to be closed for 72 weeks.
Reader Bao: Simi sai? They extended the circuit breaker measures even before it’s started?
No, Ah Bao. Relax. This has nothing to do with the circuit breaker measures, though people might be turning off the real circuit breakers in the terminal.
Reader Bao: Thank God. Now let me rush over there for one last meal before it—
It’s because of people like you that we have to implement the circuit breaker measures, but anyways, here’s what happened.
Or to be more specific, what’s going to happen.
Everything About Changi Airport T2 Complete Closure for 18 Months You Should Know About
Actually, if you’ve been following the news and second-guessing every decision that people in suits make, you’d have more or less expected this.
Late last year, even before COVID-19 came crashing into our world, the iconic McDonald’s outlet there announced that their last day of service would be on 31 January 2020.
People believed that it was due to the upgrading of the 30-year-old terminal that was due to begin late last year.
But of course, back then, it was merely going for renovations and not a closure.
Then COVID-19 came in like a cannonball, and the entire airport is now as empty as my bank account.
Which is why Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan announced in Parliament today (6 April 2020) that the entire terminal would close for 18 months from 1 May 2020.
Airlines that operate in the terminal would be relocated to other terminals, though given that most planes are grounded now, that doesn’t matter much now.
According to Mr Khaw, this will allow retailers, airlines and ground handling firms, or any firms that operate in the terminal, to save on running costs during this time.
Mr Khaw added, “Importantly, it also allows us to speed up the current upgrading works at Terminal 2 and shorten the project time by up to one year.”
Efficiency at its best, indeed.
But COVID-19 wouldn’t last for 18 months—if it does, we’d all be dying from the lack of bubble tea instead of the virus. So what happens when tourists start to crowd MBS again?
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Mr Khaw has ensured that when COVID-19 is part of our history, there would still be sufficient “parking lots” in the airport.
He added, “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.”
That’s Singapore for you: always thinking about tomorrow even when a crisis is happening today.
In the meantime, please do everyone a favour: don’t go there for one last meal.
If not your face would appear in social media.