Singapore Airlines moves Maldives and Nepal departures to Terminal 2

Singapore Airlines restored two-terminal operations at Changi Airport back in October 2022, shifting all Southeast Asia departures to the new-look Terminal 2. This was later followed by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, leaving Maldives as the only pre-pandemic destination still departing from Terminal 3.

Well, that’s set to change from 10 October 2023, when SIA moves Male flights back to T2. And in a surprise move, Kathmandu will also make the shift to T2, meaning that SIA will soon have more T2 destinations than pre-COVID days.

Singapore Airlines shifts Maldives & Nepal departures to Terminal 2

From 10 October 2023, Singapore Airlines customers flying to the Maldives or Nepal will check in at Changi T2.

SIA flights to Kathmandu, Nepal (SQ440 and SQ442) and Male, the Maldives (SQ432 and SQ438) will operate out of Terminal 2 from Tuesday, 10 October 2023. Customers on these flights should check in at Terminal 2, and may visit this link for more details on their flight timing and information on their boarding gate.

From 10 October 2023, SIA will operate flights out of Terminal 2 to the following cities: Bandar Seri Begawan, Bangkok, Cebu, Colombo, Da Nang, Davao, Denpasar (Bali), Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, Male, Manila, Medan, Penang, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Siem Reap, Surabaya, and Yangon.

-Singapore Airlines

The first T2 departure to the Maldives, SQ432 to Male, will depart at 1005 hours, while the first T2 departure to Nepal, SQ440 to Kathmandu, will depart at 1050 hours.

As a reminder, SIA flights can arrive at T1, T2 or T3 depending on operational requirements. 

Arrival terminals are assigned within two hours of schedule arrival time, and you can find the necessary information on the Singapore Airlines website, Changi Airport’s website or the iChangi app.

What are the lounge options in Terminal 2?

Singapore Airlines operates three different lounges in Changi T2:

• KrisFlyer Gold Lounge (KFG)
• SilverKris Business Class Lounge (SKL J)
• SilverKris First Class Lounge (SKL F)

The lounge you can access will depend on your cabin of travel, as well as elite status. Remember: KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Star Gold members travelling in Economy Class don’t get access to the SilverKris Lounges at Changi Airport; it’s off to the “dedicated” KrisFlyer Gold Lounge with you!

I’ve visited all three lounges numerous times, and while they’re not awful (well, with the possible exception of the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge), they’re well past their prime. It’s been more than a decade since the T2 facilities received any real renovations, and one hopes that SIA has a refurbishment plan because these surely won’t go the distance till T5 opens in the mid-2030s!

Fortunately, there’s no rule saying you have to use the lounge in the terminal you’re departing from. A Singapore Airlines Business Class passenger could visit the SilverKris Lounge in T2 or T3, for example, and it’s just a short Skytrain ride away.

For avoidance of doubt, Singapore Airlines passengers may check-in at both T2 and T3, regardless of destination. However, if your flight is departing within 90 minutes and you have luggage to check, you must check-in at the correct terminal (the concern is that your bag may not have enough time to be transferred to your flight otherwise).

Terminal 2’s grand reopening coming in October 2023

Changi T2 has been in the soft opening phase since May 2022, with the southern wing already fully operational. The final piece of the puzzle is the opening of the northern wing, set to take place in October 2023.

This includes a revamped SIA First Class check-in area, as spotted by a MileLion reader back in August. In all likelihood, this will be used as more of a “Solitaire reception”, since the only T2 route with a First Class cabin is Jakarta. 

T2’s renovations will see a total of 15,500 sqm added, including 20% more space for retail and F&B, and a new layout for the check-in hall and immigration areas.

The project will boost Changi’s annual passenger capacity by 5 million to 90 million, and in fact, T2 will become Changi’s largest terminal until T5 comes along in the mid-2030s!

In recent weeks, Changi Airport has unveiled T2 transit’s South Gourmet Garden, as well as a TV Lounge that screened the US Open live.

Sadly, one thing we won’t be seeing a return of are the famous Solari Boards in T2 departure hall.

These iconic displays, with their signature clack-clack-clack sounds, have been decommissioned. One board (located between rows 9 and 10) was donated to the National Heritage Board. The fate of the other board (between rows 3 and 4) has yet to be announced.

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines flights to the Maldives and Nepal will soon depart from Terminal 2, bringing the airline back to its full complement of pre-COVID T2 destinations and then some. 

Passengers who prefer the Terminal 3 lounge experience can still check in at T3 and enjoy the lounges over there, before catching the Skytrain over to T2. There are some time restrictions if you have a checked bag, however, so don’t arrive at the airport later than 90 minutes before departure in that case.