Singapore Changi Airport is one of the best airports in the world and number one in the eyes of many travelers.
It came second in this year’s ‘Airport Oscars’, winning the award consecutively from 2013 to 2020 and coming in first in 2023.
The secret of its success? For starters, it employs people who work full time to make it spectacular.
Here, MailOnline Travel reveals who some of them are, from the horticulturists who tend 700,000 plants and 800 butterflies for the airport’s incredible gardens, to the general manager of ‘experience creation’. Your job? To create ‘wow moments’.
Read on as they lift the veil on the management of a world-leading centre.
Dorothy Lim, Senior Director of Horticulture
Changi Airport It is home to fascinating indoor vegetation covering 24,000 m2 (258,333 sq ft), equivalent to 19 Olympic-sized swimming pools, and outdoor vegetation covering 290,000 m2 (3.1 million sq ft), explains Dorothy Lim, one of the horticulturists. from the airport.
This volume of vegetation, he explains, would take his team two days to water by hand. Fortunately, they have the help of automation.
Dorothy Lim helps grow greenery at Changi Airport, which covers more than 300,000 square meters
Dorothy explains that passengers touch the Changi plants out of curiosity, “to see if they’re real.” Above is Terminal 4
She explains: ‘Around 90 per cent of our indoor green areas are irrigated by automated irrigation systems, while most of our outdoor vegetation depends on natural rainfall.
“Being situated in the tropics, Singapore receives plenty of rainfall throughout the year.”
Do airport users ever damage plants?
Dorothy says: ‘Yes, it is common for airport users to damage our plants. Some passengers touch the plants out of curiosity, because they want to check that the plants or flowers are real.’
How do you decide what goes where?
She reveals: ‘I will choose plants that fit the landscape theme and growing conditions. For example, in the Terminal 2 Sunflower Garden, I prefer plants with shades of yellow and orange, and they must be able to withstand full sun conditions as it is scorching hot in Singapore most days.
‘On the other hand, I will put nectar plants in the Butterfly Garden, in Terminal 3, since they can become food for the butterflies that are there. In outdoor areas, I will normally avoid fruit-bearing trees or plants as they attract wildlife, which in turn can jeopardize aviation safety.’
Khaja Nazimuddeen, Director General of Horticulture
Above is Changi horticulturist Khaja Nazimuddeen, who reveals that at any given time there are around 800 butterflies fluttering around Changi.
Khaja explains that the horticulture team takes care of the plants that line the airport roads.
Khaja was part of the team that created Changi’s stunning nature-themed ‘Joya’ shopping and entertainment complex.
He reveals: “Working on the conceptualization of Jewel Changi Airport’s horticultural displays in the five years leading up to the complex’s opening (from 2014 to 2019) was truly challenging but rewarding and memorable. Watching Jewel become an icon of the airport from Changi and Singapore was really heartwarming.
“The Jewel project delivered a 20,000 square meter garden with about 2,000 trees and palm trees and about 100,000 shrubs in an indoor environment, mainly located in the Shiseido forest valley, around the Jewel Rain Vortex.”
Any surprising aspects of your role?
Khaja says: ‘Our horticulture team also looks after the plants along Airport Boulevard, leading to or from our terminals. This extends over 15 hectares of roads. The roads leading out of the airport represent travelers’ first impressions and last snapshots of Singapore. Therefore, it is very important that the green area is well maintained to maintain our reputation as a Garden City.’
The Jewel space, which Khaja describes as an ‘icon’ of Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport came second in this year’s ‘Airport Oscars’
Pictured above is a ‘dreamscape’ area at Changi Terminal 2.
We hear there are butterflies…
Khaja says: ‘We have, at any given time, around 800 butterflies in 25 species and most of them are from the tropical region. They are mainly classified into two types of butterflies: those that feed on nectar and those that feed on fruits. While the former can obtain nectar from the many flowers in the Butterfly Garden, our team places trays of fruit such as pine cones for the fruit-eating butterflies.’
Where do they come from?
Khaja explains: ‘Every Wednesday we receive a shipment of 600 pupae of different species from a breeder in Malaysia. The most common species are lacewing, common rose, blue pansy and common birdwing. Butterflies have a typical lifespan of 10 to 14 days.’
Delfine Ong, General Manager, Experience Creation
On the right is Delfine Ong, employed to create surprising moments in Changi.
The Chandelier in Terminal 4, a 16 (52-foot) tall play structure with ropes courses for passengers to enjoy before their flights. Delfine describes it as an “outstanding project”
Delfine has been with Changi Airport Group for 10 years and on the experience creation team since day one.
Your role? To create ‘wow moments’.
She explains: ‘We like to think we have the most exciting job at the airport!
‘Our team is responsible for creating those unforgettable moments that make passengers’ trips enjoyable and memorable. We come up with innovative and captivating ideas to enhance the travel experience.
‘Some of our notable projects include the newly launched Wonderfall, a 14 (45-foot) tall LED screen displaying a realistic waterfall, and the chandelier at Terminal 4, a 16 (52-foot) tall screen. Play structure with rope courses for passengers to enjoy before their flights.
What is the most challenging part of the job?
Delfine reveals that the project closest to her heart is the kart track created in Terminal 4 during the Covid pandemic
She reveals: ‘The biggest challenge of my job is figuring out what the next “big thing” will be.
‘An important part of my role involves thinking outside the box and developing innovative ideas that surprise our passengers, whilst ensuring they fit into the context of the airport.
‘We strive to create unique experiences that people wouldn’t normally expect to find in an airport. Balancing this creativity with practicality – keeping everything safe, relevant and not disrupting airport operations – is always a delicate and exciting challenge.”
Which project is closest to your heart?
Wong Meng Kwan, Director of Design Management. He tells MailOnline Travel that the aim is to create “relaxing, stress-free and pleasantly surprising experiences”.
She comments: ‘The project closest to my heart is when we transformed Terminal 4 into a go-kart track. This happened during the Covid-19 pandemic when Terminal 4 was closed and the airport was a gloomy place due to travel restrictions. We managed to turn Terminal 4 into a space where Singaporeans could find some respite, excitement and happiness, almost like taking a short vacation when travel wasn’t possible.
“We turned Terminal 4 into a magical place, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to use an airport terminal as a race track.”
Wong Meng Kwan, Director, Design Managementadds: ‘Each project is seen as an opportunity for a unique design intervention, without following a rigid formula or design manual. Our guiding principles focus on providing a relaxing, stress-free and pleasantly surprising experience.’
The goal is to “find that sweet spot between aesthetics, function, maintainability, cost, implementation time and quality control.”
For more information about Singapore Changi Airport, visit www.changiaairport.com.