Haikou Meilan Airport marks its 20th year of operations with plan to launch Terminal 2

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                   / KUCINTA SETIA

Below : Haikou Meilan Airport in 2009.

On 25 May 2019, Haikou Meilan International Airport (hereinafter referred to as "Meilan Airport") celebrates 20 years of airport and commercial air traffic operations.

On 25 May 1999, Meilan Airport officially enters commercial operations with the smooth landing of a Boeing 737 aircraft,. It creates a new chapter in Meilan airport development and heralds a new era in the development of Hainan's civil aviation industry. 

Above : The International Terminal at Haikou Meilan Airport.

On 24 November 2017, the passenger numbers of Meilan Airport exceeded 20 million passengers for the first time.

In August 2000, as a pilot unit for the reform of the modern enterprise system of civil aviation airports, various reforms of Meilan Airport were in full swing. After two years of hard work, on 18 November 2002, Hainan Meilan International Airport Co., Ltd. successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, becoming the second mainland airport listed in Hong Kong after Beijing Capital International Airport, marking the pilot reform work a complete success. 

In the past 20 years, under the guidance of the spirit of reform and opening up in the new era, Meilan Airport has become one of the largest airports in the world. The annual passenger numbers have increased from 3,565,100 to 24,123,600, and the number of flights has increased from 48,490 to 165,186.


After 20 years of safe operations, Meilan Airport has established a mature operation mechanism in line with the market environment, and gradually grown into a modern enterprise with excellent assets, outstanding performance and perfect management, and created successful cases of China's civil aviation airport reform and Hainan state-owned enterprise reform. 

The excellent assets of Meilan Airport include convenient transportation linkage and non-aviation facilities for travelers' enjoyment.

As the world's first airport to connect to the high-speed railway around the island in 2015, Meilan Airport is of a 10-minute train ride from Haikou City to the Meilan Airport Terminal. Entering the check-in area of the high-speed railway station is self-service. The checked-in baggage and the boarding gate can  be self-serviced. 

In early 2018, Meilan Airport opened Hainan's first duty-free commercial aviation complex known as Haikou Airport City where nearly 300 world-renowned high-end brands have set up outlets here. Visit the aviation science and technology museum in the building to experience different aerospace technologies. This is the unique exploration of Meilan Airport.

Haikou Airport City unveiled under the design concept of “Eating, Living, Traveling, Traveling, Purchasing, and Entertainment”, is the only large-scale commercial complex of China that aims to offer diversified catering and rich retail products. It provides more choices for travelers where a transportation hub (GTC) that integrates various modes of transportation such as high-speed rail, bus, intercity express, taxi, etc., provides passengers with speed, convenience and comfort in a one-stop transfer service.

Safety is the lifeline of civil aviation production operations. In November 2018, Meilan Airport became the first airport in the Mainland to pass the “APEX Excellence Airport Security Assessment” and became a model in the security and security field.

Under the premise of adhering to safety first, Meilan Airport actively implements the “True Service” concept of the Civil Aviation Administration, takes passenger demand as the starting point, innovates management ideas, continuously improves infrastructure and service quality to provide the best service to travelers. 

Nowadays, passengers who choose Meilan Airport not only can receive the self-service temporary flight certificate, but also experience self-service check-in, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan self-service endorsement, paperless customs clearance, self-service boarding, etc. With the extraordinary services, Meilan Airport successfully won the first SKYTRAX five-star airport in China, and ranks among China Civil Aviation Top 10 Excellent Airports and has other industry heavyweight awards to its honour. 

In the future, Meilan Airport will closely follow the concept of “developing for the people” of China's civil aviation, thoroughly implement the “1, 2, 3, 4” civil aviation overall work ideas and the “four-type airport” construction requirements, and promote the “one acceleration, two realizations” strategic process. It will actively dock ASQ, SKYTRAX and other international authoritative accreditation bodies, focus on key points, overcome shortcomings, promote innovation, continuously improve service quality, and strive to provide passengers with a better travel environment, and build a world-class service brand for civil aviation in China. 

At the same time, Meilan Airport will also proceed from satisfying people's longing for a better life, speed up the construction of a modern international comprehensive transportation system, increase the number of airline routes, and provide more openness for Hainan Province to build a free trade pilot zone and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics. 



Above : Meilan Airport Terminal 2 under construction. Shot in December 2018.

Through the global civil aviation development, Meilan Airport is entering the second phase of construction -- Meilan Airport Terminal 2, in the Meilan Phase II Construction Project.

Meilan Phase II Construction Project is a key project in Hainan Province with a total investment of 15.47 billion yuan and a planned land area of ​​8649 hectares. At the newly built terminal, the world's largest passenger aircraft Airbus A380 can take off and land. 


The Terminal 2 is 296,000 square metres, about three times that of the Terminal 1. At present, the main part of the flight area road surface engineering and terminal building is basically completed. The comprehensive transportation speeds up the construction of the terminal and the approach road. The new terminal is expected to be put into use by Chinese New Year in 2020. By then, it will meet the annual passenger number target of 35 million passengers and the annual cargo volume of 400,000 tons. The demand for cargo has greatly improved the air transportation support capacity of the Haikou airport.

As of April 2019, with the support of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, the provincial government and the provincial and municipal tourism commissions, the Meilan Airport route network covers Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, the 10 ASEAN countries, South Korea, Russia, Australia and Europe. There are 303 routes, including 257 domestic routes, 42 international routes and 4 regional routes. There are 156 cities on the airport's route network, including 114 domestic cities, 38 international cities and 4 regional cities. A total of 59 airlines operate to Meilan Airport. Among them, 35 are domestic, 20 are international, and 4 are regional, including 5 domestic and foreign airlines that carry out alternate flights and temporary flights. 

The interactive light art installation by teamLab at Jewel Changi Airport

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

If you have recently passed through Singapore’s Changi Airport at night, check out an interactive light art installation that is on display at the airport.

The work, called Resonating Forest, comes from Japan's popular new media art team teamLab. 

The Resonating Forest exhibition is arranged in the Shiseido Forest Valley at Jewel Changi Airport, which is opened officially to the public on 17 April 2019. Designed by Safdie Architects, it has the world's highest indoor waterfall (up to 40 metrers) known as HSBC Rain Vortex and a waterfall around it. The surrounding indoor forest with more than 200 plants is a highlight of the design.

In this interactive device, the trees around the waterfall are illuminated. When people pass nearby, the light from the trees changes colour, and the background music changes as the colour changes. The light of each tree spreads to the surrounding trees, and in the same way, the sound of music continues to spread between the trees. As the height of the tree changes, the pitch of the background sound also changes. In this way, people may be more sensitive than usual to realize that there are other people in the same space.

In fact, this idea appeared in the team's 2014 work “Resonating Trees”. Later, this work was moved to Tokushima Prefecture Cultural Forest Complex Park, Ginza Six Shopping Center in Ginza, Tokyo, and Uzu Jingu Shrine in Oita Prefecture.


The team said that the concept behind the project is that digital technology can turn cities into art without physical changes. They hope that the device will enhance one's awareness of the existence of others in the public domain.

Founded in 2001, teamLab is a team of over-tech experts consisting of around 400 experts including programmers, mathematicians, architects, CG animators, web designers, graphic designers, artists and editors. The Curiosity Daily has reported on them. Natural elements are often the subject of their work: flowers, running water, lizards, flying birds... Their works have strong visual effects and high interactivity, which are popular with the public, but this digitally realized device was considered by some critics as "not art."

This exhibition around HSBC Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport is in cooperation with Shiseido. This is not the first time teamLab has worked with Shiseido. In July 2017, teamLab produced 14 digital works of art in the 172-year-old Miyakoyama Park in Saga Prefecture, Japan, and Shiseido was the co-organizer of the exhibition.

The team also brought in another work, The Reverberant Tree – The Bush Labyrinth, which will be set at the top of the Canopy Park, which is expected to open on 10 June 2019. These two exhibitions are part of the exhibition of the beauty of Shiseido’s “Sense and Knowledge”.

A Guide on Money Remittance Services to Myanmar

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

The trading firms at Peninsula Plaza (the "Little Myanmar" of Singapore) are remittance shops that offer money remittance services to Myanmar. An interview with three trading firms at Peninsula Plaza shows that many Myanmar foreign labour in Singapore have no idea that they have to produce copies of the adult recipients' Myanmar ICs in order to remit money successfully to Yangon and other places in Myanmar.

The three trading firms interviewed are Thi Ha Trading, Mann Star (International) Pte Ltd and Hin Tha Trading.

The owner of Thi Ha Trading, occupying the former premise of Singaporean-owned travel agency Leo International, explains that there are two types of Myanmar ICs, the children's IC for age below 20 and the adult's IC for age 20 and above. 

To remit money successfully each time at Thi Ha Trading to a Myanmar bank in Yangon for money collection by the recipient, a copy of the Myanmar adult recipient's IC and service fee of 3 Singapore Dollars are required. Address and name of the recipient on paper are not necessary.

At Mann Star (International) Pte Ltd, the owner says it is better to produce a copy of the adult recipient's IC besides address and name of the recipient on paper for the Myanmar banks' verification. Failure to do so will lead to unsuccessful remittance. She charges service fee of 3 to 5 Singapore Dollars depending on recipient's location.

Hin Tha Trading allows money collection at its Yangon branches and at Myanmar banks. For money collection at its Yangon branches, there is no service fee for remittance (to be verified by the customer) but it charges a service fee for money collection at Myanmar banks (to be proved).

Hin Tha Trading's Yangon branches are located at Thurein Hardware Center I and Thurein Hardware Center II.

The remittance shops interviewed comment that it is better to remit a larger amount of money rather than two-digit amounts in Singapore Dollars to Myanmar. Copies of children's ICs are not accepted as under Myanmar law, children less than 20 years old cannot collect money at Myanmar banks.

Thi Ha Trading advises Myanmar foreign labour who have handphones and who are currently in Singapore may contact the adult recipients to whatsapp copies of their ICs before they proceed to remit money at the shops.

There is no Internet banking system in Myanmar for on-line money remittance.

The service fee of 3 Singapore Dollars is the lowest in the Singapore market. Western Union that also has money remittance to Myanmar charges an exorbitant service fee of 20 Singapore Dollars per transaction.

Money remittance is a popular activity for foreign labour in Singapore as cash is not allowed to be sent by post from Singapore to Myanmar and other countries.

Ref : Foreign workforce numbers
https://www.mom.gov.sg/documents-and-publications/foreign-workforce-numbers

The nearest Pudong Airport hotel for aircraft-spotting

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA

Address : Da Zhong Airport Hotel
                6001 Yinbin Road
                (Above Pudong Maglev Express Line 2 Station in Pudong Airport Terminal 2)
                Shanghai Pudong
Tel : +86-21-38799999

Da Zhong Airport Hotel, owned by the Da Zhong Transportation Group, is the nearest airport hotel of Pudong International Airport. Access is via a tunnel walkway from the arrival hall towards the Pudong Maglev Express Station entrance.

From 1 March to 31 December 2019, the southern building of Da Zhong Airport Hotel is under renovation. There is a sky bar on the eighth level of the northern building which provides panoramic view of Pudong Airport Terminal 2 and the aircraft parking at the terminal. However, it is difficult to shoot good pictures of aircraft flying in the sky.

The Chinese restaurant of Da Zhong Airport Hotel is the biggest area for morning breakfast.

Room-key deposit is 300 Renminbi, regardless of room advance payment or otherwise.


Check-in time : After 2 pm.
Check-out time : Before 12 pm

Address in Chinese : 大众空港宾馆
                                   迎宾大道6001号
                                   (磁悬浮及轨交办号线上方, 近候机楼)
                                   上海市浦东新区浦东机场

How to avoid astronomical parking fees at Jewel Changi Airport

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                   / KUCINTA SETIA

Recently, some netizens have exposed a photo of the electronic parking toll system at Jewel Changi Airport on Facebook. The parking fee is as high as S$3,158.72!

Jewel Changi Airport has informed the netizen that the parking fee of more than 3,000 Singapore dollars is actually a severe error.

It turned out that when the netizen left the Jewel parking lot on 10 April2019, the system did not record. When he returned to Jewel Changi Airport on 24 April 2019, the system automatically charged the standard for 14 days. This astronomical figure appeared.

Before you drive to Jewel Changi Airport, be prepared to note the parking fees below:-

Parking at B2 or B2M costs S$0.04 per minute for the first 90 minutes and S$5 per half hour. Floor parking fees from B3 to B5 are all S$ 0.04 per minute.

Fees per minute are also expensive. Even if you just alight for the toilet, you have to pay for it.

In addition, please advise your friends who drive to Jewel Changi Airport to pay attention. When leaving the parking lot, please keep a certain distance from the vehicle in front, so as to avoid the system from billing them incorrectly due to blockage, and incurring the exorbitant parking fee.

The first Review on the Changi Lounge of Jewel Changi Airport

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

On 17 April 2019, Jewel Changi Airport officially opens its doors to the public and tourists. On the same day, Changi Lounge opens to the public and transit passengers.

Changi Lounge, located on the first level of Jewel Changi Airport, advertises itself as an ideal location for public showers and three hours' rest. The costs are as follows:-

A typical shower at Changi Lounge costs 38 Singapore Dollars at per 45-minute interval. However, if one adds the meals and usage of the lounge for business and relaxation, it costs only 50 Singapore Dollars for three hours. The lounge does not allow the public and tourists to sleep here overnight.

During the first use of the shower room, the journalist found that the facilities are ultra-modern. One needs to control the flow of water during showering so that water is not wasted. There is a bidget that is hardly understood. So is the tap during the first attempt to turn it on.

The three shower rooms provide shavers for inhouse use. The concierge said there are first-aid kits in the shower rooms but I found none. The razor of the shaver that I first used in the shower room was too sharp that I bled after shaving. The first-aid kit was not there.

Changi Lounge said one has to pay 2 Singapore Dollars for a printout and a second shaver but during  my second visit to the lounge, the central printer was not functioning such that I have a free-of-charge printout from the concierge.

The meals at Changi Lounge are a lot more of a variety and more stomach-filling than The Haven. They include fish fillet, meat, salads, rice, noodles, vegetables, soups, cakes, croissants and fruits.

There is the bar at Changi Lounge.

Power-charging facilities and work stations are available for guests to use.

Changi Lounge is currently not part of the Priority Pass lounge membership program. According to the manager of the lounge, talks are underway with Priority Pass and banks to accept usages of Priority Pass and banks' credit cards at this venue.

Payment modes currently are cash and NETS.

Located opposite the Early Check-in area of Jewel Changi Airport, the public and tourists that visit Changi Lounge will definitely like this stopover destination.

Jewel Changi Airport with ten levels to contain airport hotel

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

More and more passengers are looking to transfer at Singapore Changi Airport. After being named the Best Skytrax Airport for the sixth consecutive year, the new landmark created by Changi Airport known as Jewel Changi Airport will be launched in 2019. 

Jewel Changi Airport is the iconic airport complex with glass and steel and a gem-like appearance in front of Terminal 1. Its total construction area is about 137,000 square meters. There are ten floors (including five floors above ground and five floors below ground), which are connected to various terminals. It is not an airport terminal by itself. It looks like a jewel on the ground and a silver donut from the sky. It should be affectionately named as Changi Jewel.

It is difficult to find other airports in the world that can make themselves a travel destination.

Jewel Changi Airport CEO Tang Wei said, "Jewel Changi Airport will not only be a transit station for more people, it will also become a new landmark in Singapore. It enhances Singapore's attractiveness as a travel destination and enhance Changi Airport as a transit point."

Jewel Changi Airport has a five-storey indoor garden covered with thousands of trees and plants. The green area is about 22,000 square meters. More than 2,000 trees and more than 100,000 shrubs are planted in Australia. Brazil, China, Malaysia, Thailand and the United States. There is an indoor waterfall vortex (Rain Vortex) in the park, and a 40-meter-high rain vortex is located in the center of  Jewel.

As an important part of the airport facilities, Jewel Changi Airport continues the convenient travel experience provided by Changi Airport for transit passengers. According to reports, it is seamlessly connected to the three terminals. It provides early check-in, luggage storage and tax refund services. Assume that the passenger's flight is at night. If there is no other plan after check-out, the passenger can go to Changi Jewel first. For those who need to take a break before the flight, there is also a hotel in Changi Jewel, which offers a variety of flexible package options, calculated in 4 hours. Passengers do not need to pay for the whole day. They can just take a shower or take a nap before going out for dinner, shopping and boarding.

Tang Wei believes that "for passengers, many of the tourist destinations they choose do not have direct flights, which also leads them to unknowingly find that they have been staying at the airport for a longer period of time, so now the airport will provide More and more reasons for recreational facilities."

Although it is not the world's largest international airport, the tax-free income of Changi Airport is one of the best in the world due to its excellent shopping environment and huge international passenger turnover. In 2017, the Changi Airport franchise store revenue reached 1.9 billion US dollars.

Changi Jewel will also become a leisure place for locals. It is understood that many Singaporean locals will often go to Changi Airport. Maybe they choose to come to Changi Airport to see the planes take off and land or shopping and entertainment on weekends. Maybe they will stay at the airport to have a meal together when they drop off. Tang Wei said, "If travelers choose to travel in Singapore for four days, they can arrange one of them for a day and play at Jewel."

Changi Airport expects that Jewel Changi Airport will enhance Singapore's attractiveness as a destination for travel, which will consolidate Changi Airport's position as the world's leading aviation hub, allowing more travellers to choose Changi Airport as their transit point. It is estimated that the future passenger flow will be 40-50 million, of which about 40 per cent are passengers and 60 per cent are local residents.

In addition to improving transit appeal by creating new landmarks, Changi Airport has also increased the efficiency of check-in by using technology. Terminal 4, opened in October 2017, is equipped with “FAST” technology, including face recognition software, self-service baggage label printing and shipping, which means that from check-in to boarding, passengers no longer need The help of others. The project has increased the annual passenger capacity of Changi Airport passengers to 82 million passengers per year.

At the same time, the expansion of Changi Airport continues. In 2019, Changi Airport will proceed to upgrade Terminal 2 to increase the passenger capacity of the terminal by about 20 per cent. The Changi East project, which is expected to be completed in 2030, includes Terminal 5 and three runway systems, freight buildings and other aviation auxiliary facilities and ground transportation infrastructure. When Terminal 5 is put into use, the total passenger capacity of Changi Airport will increase to 135 million per year.