Singapore’s Changi Airport traffic handles record passenger on Dec 17

The daily record – after 35 years of operations – may well be broken last Christmas weekend. The following weekend is expected to be busy, too.CHANGi Airport is buzzing with holidaymakers, boosting passenger traffic on December 17 to a record high of 195,000.
The daily record – after 35 years of operations – may well be broken when the figures for the Christmas weekend come in. The following weekend is expected to be busy, too.
With so much traffic to handle, Changi Airport Group is trying to ensure that travellers do not face any hiccups.
It worked with ground handlers last weekend On the weekend of December 17-19 more than 30 per cent more staff were deployed at check-in counters and other touchpoints. This arrangement will continue over the next two is continuing until next weekend.
This means calling on staff to put in extra hours or for them to take on duties outside of their usual tasks, Changi Airport spokesman Ivan Tan said. Where necessary, part-timers are brought in.
Customer service agent supervisor Chloe Lee Yin Lue, 23, said staff are briefed early on what to expect during the peak travel season. “Supervisors also chip in to support our frontline staff on the ground,” she said.
Extra checks are done on self-service kiosks for check-in and luggage tagging to make sure all are working well. 
Changi also works closely with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority so that counters are adequately manned.
Food and beverage outlets have increased their supplies to avoid any shortages. Incentives are also in place to encourage taxi drivers to go to the airport to pick up passengers. Besides the usual airport surcharge, cabbies who make trips to the airport during this busy time also stand to win $5,000 Singapore dollars (Bt124,305) in a year-end lucky draw.
To speed up taxi boarding and cut the time spent in the taxi queue, the airport is stationing two employees at each taxi bay to help passengers load their luggage into the taxi.
This increases taxi throughput by an estimated 20 per cent during the peak arrival period.
Changi Airport Group’s senior vice president (passenger experience) Albert Lim said the busy year-end period is a special time for many travellers as they journey home or head off for a holiday with their loved ones.
The preparations aim to give everyone a good experience at the airport, he said.
Despite the arrangements, things can go wrong. For example, baggage could take longer than usual to reach the claim belts due to heavy rain and lightning.
To prepare for such a situation – made more likely with high passenger numbers and the year-end monsoon season – airport staff have increased the stock of refreshments such as biscuits and packet drinks for distribution to affected passengers by about 30 per cent.
On the security front, checks are also being stepped up, not just because of the higher passenger traffic at the airport, but also amid a heightened level of alert, with the threat of terror attacks hanging over the festive period throughout the region.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic student S Deleep, 18, who flew to London last week, said it was crowded but everything went smoothly at check-in, immigration and during boarding. “It was a nice start to a much-awaited vacation.”