In 2023, Changi Airport Group (CAG) announced plans to transform the CIP Terminal into a “premium travel hub”, with refreshed interiors, expanded lounge space, new private suites and shopping concierge services.
This was long overdue, if you ask me. The current CIP Terminal, operated by JetQuay, had barely changed since its 2006 opening, and was quite frankly an embarrassment. Its dated, utilitarian interiors felt like a time capsule, and I can think of public spaces in the main terminal which felt more premium than this depressing old facility.Â
The original timeline called for the new CIP Terminal to open in 2025, but that proved to be overly optimistic, as it was only in September last year when the old terminal closed and renovations began in earnest.
CAG has now provided an update on the redevelopment work, along with the first renders of what it’s calling the “private terminal” (it seems like they’ve dropped the “CIP” designation in favour of new terminology). Completion is targeted for mid-2027, and interestingly enough, long-time operator JetQuay has been dropped, replaced instead by the Plaza Premium Group.
Changi Airport unveils new private terminal
Changi Airport will open its new private terminal by mid-2027, on the site of the former CIP terminal at Terminal 2’s southern node.
Offering a fully personalised journey at every touchpoint, passengers using this terminal will be able to rest and recharge in an exclusive space, before being facilitated for their flight. There will be smooth transfers to boarding gates and convenient access to Changi’s world-class shopping.
-Changi Airport
The new terminal will feature a deluxe lounge, bar, private suites and bespoke dining, with a high-end event space for larger entourages and private gatherings. It will continue to have its own private carpark and driveway, filled with fancy-looking cars, if the renders are anything to go by.
What surprised me the most about the announcement, however, was the reveal that the new private terminal would be operated not by JetQuay, which has been running the CIP Terminal since its opening in 2006, but by the Plaza Premium Group.Â
A CAG spokesperson has confirmed that JetQuay will not be involved in the operations of the new private terminal, and the current interim CIP Lounge will close once the new private terminal opens.
I don’t think you should shed many tears about this, because JetQuay hasn’t done a particularly good job of running the CIP Terminal — and that’s my charitable assessment. It still astounds me that, for the first few years of operation, the only hot food offered at this supposedly “state of the art, luxurious terminal” was cup noodles, and while the F&B selection had improved slightly by the time of my 2019 visit, it was still extremely mediocre. Ultimately, I was left scratching my head as to why anyone — aside from those with specific privacy requirements — would ever choose this over a First or even Business Class lounge.
Even the interim JetQuay CIP Lounge, located on the tarmac level in a modernised part of Terminal 2, falls well short of what you’d expect. It’s basically a repurposed bus gate with a couple of makeshift shower cubicles in the toilet, and little else by way of amenities.Â
The buffet spread is similar to what you’d find in an average Priority Pass lounge, with cheap carbs, mass-produced sandwiches, packet drinks and snacks. Coffee is available from a Starbucks machine, the likes of which you’d find at many moderately-priced hotels, and while there is champagne, you have to know to request for it — otherwise it’s the cheap wines from the fridge.
If there’s one picture that sums up the lackadaisical attitude JetQuay has towards luxury, it’d probably be this: a standee proudly advertising Farmpride frozen nuggets. Mind you, the JetQuay Lounge is marketed as a space for high-end product activations, and with the greatest of respect to Country Foods, and its storied owner SATS, frozen nuggets just ain’t it.
No one’s saying that well-heeled travellers can’t enjoy the simpler things too. But if you paid top dollar for VIP treatment, asked for juice, and got a packet that retails for less than 80 cents at the supermarket instead of something freshly-squeezed, well, I think you’d have some questions.
Perhaps the worst part is that JetQuay has not adjusted the cost to match the more austere environment. Expect to pay at least S$490 per person for the basic lounge experience, or S$1,962 (!) for a Jet Suite (basically a semi-private waiting area within the main lounge). Given what’s on offer, it just feels like a raw deal.
It’s really a shame, because the service provided by the lounge staff is actually exemplary. If only they had the right hardware to back them up!
Anyway, I digress. I’m hoping that the switch to Plaza Premium marks a fresh start. The group already manages the Cathay Pacific Lounge in T4, and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses outside of the UK, so they certainly know a thing or two about running a premium lounge.
If they can deliver an experience on the level of Plaza Premium First (and I’m talking about the original concept, not the watered-down version it’s now become), then this could be very exciting indeed.
An expanded Hub & Spoke district
The new private terminal will form part of a larger lifestyle hub, arising from an expansion of the current Hub & Spoke district.
This will feature new dining options, as well as additional wellness and pet-friendly facilities. Anchoring the venue will be Changi’s first covered amphitheatre and open-air plaza, for all-weather small to mid-scale events (like meeting a celebrity en route to their flight).
I’m pleased to see expansion plans for Hub & Spoke, which just might be one of Changi Airport’s best-kept secrets with a cafe and bar, pay-per-use showers, gym pod, and bike rentals for cyclists to explore the nearby Jurassic Mile (and the irritatingly-cute Jurassic Bark dog run).Â
However, it’s not the most convenient for travellers to access (even though the Hub & Spoke cafe actually offers set meals to Priority Pass and DragonPass members) as getting there involves exiting the airport via the coach bay, then following a partially-sheltered walkway under the Skytrain tracks. You’re more likely to find airport staff and locals here, and while there is a lot of potential, it currently feels like a strange little appendage of the airport.
Other features of this district include the upcoming Hotel Indigo, a 255-key IHG property slated for a 2028 opening. This landside hotel will be seven stories high, with a rooftop day club and an infinity pool offering runway views (hopefully like the TWA Hotel at JFK Terminal 5).Â
Conclusion
Changi Airport has unveiled plans for a new private terminal and expanded Hub & Spoke lifestyle district, which will open in mid-2027. The private terminal will replace the aging CIP Terminal, with the Plaza Premium Group taking over operations from JetQuay.
I’m really hoping the new private terminal does a much better job of delivering the kind of elevated travel experience which JetQuay so often touted, but rarely achieved.
this sounds great and the economics make sense, as private aviation is increasing a lot. However, my take is that the main advantage still relies mostly on privacy, followed by convenience. Luxury in my opinion is only expected the way one might expect amenities that correspond to their lifestyles. Thus, judging it on luxury might be perhaps wrong, but on the first two counts absolutely. For instance, I like the First T2 lounge a lot (better food than T3) but the non-dedicated check-in and that immigration setup is significantly less interesting.
If you really wanted privacy though you might just head to seletar and your private jet