Passengers using Singapore’s Changi Airport will soon look forward to a game-changing advancement in air travel.
Certain visitors will no longer need a passport to negotiate the airport’s departure process, as part of a forward-thinking change to the city-state’s immigration regulations. This seismic shift ushers in a new era of smooth and secure air travel, utilising end-to-end biometric screening procedures.
Singapore’s Communications Minister, Josephine Teo, made the announcement during a parliamentary session.
Minister Teo stated that biometrics would play an important role in the authentication process at numerous automated checkpoints throughout the departure trip beginning in the first half of 2024. These checkpoints include everything from basic bag-drop procedures to immigration clearance and, finally, flight boarding.
The tremendous impact of this shift was emphasised by Minister Teo, who stated, “This will reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at these touchpoints, allowing for more seamless and convenient processing.”
The country predicts a rebound in the number of visitors to its lively financial center, with expectations of returning to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.
Furthermore, this expansion is expected to continue on its upward trend in the coming years.
Changi Airport, already known as the best airport in the world, passed a significant milestone in June, processing 5.12 million passengers. This was a major milestone because it was the first time it had exceeded five million passengers since January 2020, when the global pandemic had a huge influence on travel.
This figure, which accounts for 88 percent of passenger traffic in June 2019, demonstrates Singapore’s effective efforts to re-establish its international connectivity.
