Before the opening of Changi Airport that we know of today, Singapore's main airport was at Paya Lebar, which had outgrown in 1975.

1975 - Reclamation of land in Changi, and start of construction for Changi Airport.

1981 - Terminal 1 began operations.

1986 - Construction for Terminal 2 began.

1988 - Changi Airport's very first milestone, our first "Best Airport" award.

1990 - Terminal 2 began operations.

1995 - Singapore Changi Airport opened the world's first transit area swimming pool.

2006 - Changi Airport wins first Skytrax Title.

2008 - Terminal 3 began operations, Singapore Changi Airport opened the world's first butterfly garden

2013 - Changi Airport wins Skytrax's "World's best Airport" for the 3rd consecutive year, and 6th time overall.

2014 - Plans for Jewel Changi Airport were revealed to the public, construction begins.

2017 - Terminal 4 began operations.

2019 - Changi Airport was awarded Skytrax's "World's Best Airport" award for the 7th consecutive year. Jewel Changi Airport opened its doors to the public.

As of 2019, Singapore Changi Airport is ranked the 7th busiest airport internationally and the 3rd busiest in Asia. In December of 2019, the airport has hit the highest passenger movements, 6.41 million.

Overall, Changi Airport has come a long way, achieving 620 awards and 28 "World's Best Airport" awards ever since its opening.

On March 15, 1927, the City of San Francisco officially commissioned “Mills Field Municipal Airport of San Francisco”, which would eventually become known as San Francisco International Airport.

1954 – Split upper and lower level roadways

The construction of a new terminal, later known as the Central Terminal, then Terminal 2, included an innovative two-level design to separate departures from arrival, each served by its own roadway. This approach has since been widely adopted in airport design.

1958 – First Passenger Loading Bridge (aka “Jetway”)

SFO created one of the first Passenger Loading Bridges, commonly known as “Jetways”, to accommodate the new Boeing 707. No longer would passengers need to walk across the tarmac to the plane; they could board directly from the terminal.

1979 – Public Art and Accredited Museum

SFO began presenting exhibitions showcasing the cultural life of the Bay Area, and worked in collaboration with the San Francisco Arts Commission to place works of fine art throughout the terminal. In 1999, San Francisco Airport Museums, now SFO Museum, was accredited by the American Association of Museums – a first for an airport.

1981 – First Community Noise Round Table

SFO established the nation’s first venue to hear directly from residents on aircraft noise concerns. The SFO Round Table engages with city leaders, airlines, and the FAA to discuss and find solutions to aircraft noise issues. SFO was also among the first airports to establish a program to track and grade how airlines were adhering to flight procedures designed to reduce community noise.

1999 – Fair Wage Standards

SFO established a wage and benefit policy, known as the Quality Standards Program (QSP), the first of its kind in the country. The program established training, equipment, and compensation and benefits standards for airlines and service providers whose employees perform services impacting safety and security at SFO. The program now covers over 12,500 employees.

2011 – First LEED® gold certified terminal in the United States

SFO opened the renovated Terminal 2, the first airport terminal facility in the nation to be certified “gold” under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

SIN Passenger numbers

SFO Passenger numbers

SIN Cargo volume

SFO Cargo volume

SIN Aircraft movement

SFO Aircraft movement