Inside the world's top-rated airport nearly 12 months after the pandemic ground international travel to a halt

Katie WarrenFeb 19, 2021, 14:57 IST

The HSBC Rain Vortex was turned off for more than two months during Singapore's coronavirus lockdown.Katie Warren/Insider

Singapore's Changi Airport was ranked the world's best airport for the eighth year in a row in 2020.
It's famous for its massive indoor waterfall, Imax theater, and wide variety of shops and restaurants.
Changi has tried to reinvent itself as a domestic tourist destination in the pandemic, but when I visited recently, it was mostly empty.

In 2019, the world's best airport was at the top of its game.

That year, a record 68.3 million people passed through Singapore Changi Airport, which is known for its iconic indoor waterfall and over-the-top facilities like an Imax movie theater. At the beginning of 2020, Changi was voted the world's best airport for the eighth year in a row.

In early 2020, the world started to lock down to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Singapore, like many other countries, closed its borders to tourists. In April and May, during Singapore's COVID-19 "circuit-breaker" lockdown, Changi Airport operated at 0.5% of its usual traffic. Today, Singapore is still closed to short-term visitors except for those from a handful of countries like Australia, Taiwan, and New Zealand.

Over the winter holidays, the airport tried to reinvent itself as a domestic tourist destination with offerings like glamping staycations in the airport and a festive market. A spokesperson for Jewel Changi Airport told Insider the offerings helped bring almost 40% more visitors to the airport in November and December than in the months before but declined to offer specific visitor numbers.

On a recent weekday just before the start of Lunar New Year, I spent a day at Changi Airport to see what it's like at the world's best airport a year into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Singapore's Changi Airport has been voted the world's best airport for eight years in a row by Skytrax, a UK-based consultancy that ranks and reviews airports and airlines. In 2019, the airport opened its new Jewel terminal to great fanfare.

Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images

Singapore's Changi Airport has been voted the world's best airport for eight years in a row by Skytrax, a UK-based consultancy that ranks and reviews airports and airlines. In 2019, the airport opened its new Jewel terminal to great fanfare.

In 2019, a record 68.3 million people passed through Changi Airport, according to official airport statistics. That's an average of more than 187,000 people per day.

People at Changi Airport's Jewel terminal in December 2019. WF Sihardian/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

But in March 2020, as the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world's best airport was left nearly deserted.

An empty arrival hall at Changi Airport on March 22, 2020. Ore Huiying/Getty Images

In February 2021, just before the start of Lunar New Year, I spent an afternoon at Changi Airport to see what it was like in the world's best airport a year into the pandemic.

Katie Warren/Insider

In February 2021, just before the start of Lunar New Year, I spent an afternoon at Changi Airport to see what it was like in the world's best airport a year into the pandemic.

I entered the airport at terminal three. The airport was quiet and empty, which wasn't a surprise - but it was still disorienting.

Katie Warren/Insider

Instead of the typical airport sounds of rolling suitcases and echoing voices, I heard only calming instrumental music playing in the background and the sound of running water.

Katie Warren/Insider

Instead of the typical airport sounds of rolling suitcases and echoing voices, I heard only calming instrumental music playing in the background and the sound of running water.

I had seen countless photos of it before, but seeing the HSBC Rain Vortex in person still blew my mind.

Katie Warren/Insider

The area is usually surrounded by people snapping photos and admiring the waterfall.

Visitors at the waterfall in April 2019. Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Image

But when I was there, I could count the number of visitors on one hand.

Katie Warren/Insider

The waterfall is encircled by lush foliage called the Shiseido Forest Valley.

Katie Warren/Insider

Trails wind through the forest at varying levels, so visitors can take a stroll through the trees and feel like they're in a very clean, air-conditioned jungle.

Katie Warren/Insider

On the fifth and uppermost level of Jewel is the Canopy Park, a 150,000-square-foot recreational area with garden trails, slides for children, and suspended "sky nets" where people can walk across a web of woven ropes more than 80 feet above the ground.

Katie Warren/Insider

On the fifth and uppermost level of Jewel is the Canopy Park, a 150,000-square-foot recreational area with garden trails, slides for children, and suspended "sky nets" where people can walk across a web of woven ropes more than 80 feet above the ground.

One couple was braving the sky nets.

Katie Warren/Insider

Another small group was taking photos on the glass-bottomed Canopy Bridge, which is suspended 75 feet above the ground.

Katie Warren/Insider

But for the most part, there seemed to be more employees around than visitors.

Katie Warren/Insider

The Canopy Park had some whimsical touches like this purple elephant made of flowers.

Katie Warren/Insider

Then there were the "Foggy Bowls," a collection of concave dips in an artificial grass area. If you stand in them, fog starts streaming out.

Katie Warren/Insider

Along with a gleaming playground nearby, the Foggy Bowls are clearly an amenity designed for children's entertainment. A year into the pandemic, however, they were empty except for one fully grown journalist.

Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images

Along with a gleaming playground nearby, the Foggy Bowls are clearly an amenity designed for children's entertainment. A year into the pandemic, however, they were empty except for one fully grown journalist.

Jewel's shops and restaurants were a similar story of emptiness.

Katie Warren/Insider

This baggage storage facility was closed at the time of my visit, offering a sobering reminder of the effects of the virus on the travel industry.

Katie Warren/Insider

The busiest store I saw was the Apple store, and even that had only a handful of shoppers.

Katie Warren/Insider

A few of the restaurants were busier than the shops, but not by much.

Katie Warren/Insider

Nearby on the same level, the Imax movie theater didn't seem to be nearly as popular. (It's possible, though, that I happened to walk by in between showtimes and therefore wouldn't have seen people gathered outside.)

Katie Warren/Insider

Nearby on the same level, the Imax movie theater didn't seem to be nearly as popular. (It's possible, though, that I happened to walk by in between showtimes and therefore wouldn't have seen people gathered outside.)

As the afternoon wore on, I started seeing small groups of teenagers wandering around.

Katie Warren/Insider

The liveliest part of the entire Jewel terminal was the underground food court.

Katie Warren/Insider

Things may be starting to look up slightly for Singapore's tourism industry as vaccines begin to roll out. But Changi Airport and the rest of the city-state won't be getting back to normal anytime soon.

A cyclist takes a photo in front of the Merlion statue in Singapore on January 4, 2021. ROSLAN RAHMAN/Afp/AFP via Getty Images

Things may be starting to look up slightly for Singapore's tourism industry as vaccines begin to roll out. But Changi Airport and the rest of the city-state won't be getting back to normal anytime soon.

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Inside the world's top-rated airport nearly 12 months after the pandemic ground international travel to a halt

Singapore's Changi Airport has been voted the world's best airport for eight years in a row by Skytrax, a UK-based consultancy that ranks and reviews airports and airlines. In 2019, the airport opened its new Jewel terminal to great fanfare.

In 2019, a record 68.3 million people passed through Changi Airport, according to official airport statistics. That's an average of more than 187,000 people per day.

But in March 2020, as the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world's best airport was left nearly deserted.

In February 2021, just before the start of Lunar New Year, I spent an afternoon at Changi Airport to see what it was like in the world's best airport a year into the pandemic.

I entered the airport at terminal three. The airport was quiet and empty, which wasn't a surprise - but it was still disorienting.

Instead of the typical airport sounds of rolling suitcases and echoing voices, I heard only calming instrumental music playing in the background and the sound of running water.

I had seen countless photos of it before, but seeing the HSBC Rain Vortex in person still blew my mind.

The area is usually surrounded by people snapping photos and admiring the waterfall.

But when I was there, I could count the number of visitors on one hand.

The waterfall is encircled by lush foliage called the Shiseido Forest Valley.

Trails wind through the forest at varying levels, so visitors can take a stroll through the trees and feel like they're in a very clean, air-conditioned jungle.

On the fifth and uppermost level of Jewel is the Canopy Park, a 150,000-square-foot recreational area with garden trails, slides for children, and suspended "sky nets" where people can walk across a web of woven ropes more than 80 feet above the ground.

One couple was braving the sky nets.

Another small group was taking photos on the glass-bottomed Canopy Bridge, which is suspended 75 feet above the ground.

But for the most part, there seemed to be more employees around than visitors.

The Canopy Park had some whimsical touches like this purple elephant made of flowers.

Then there were the "Foggy Bowls," a collection of concave dips in an artificial grass area. If you stand in them, fog starts streaming out.

Along with a gleaming playground nearby, the Foggy Bowls are clearly an amenity designed for children's entertainment. A year into the pandemic, however, they were empty except for one fully grown journalist.

Jewel's shops and restaurants were a similar story of emptiness.

This baggage storage facility was closed at the time of my visit, offering a sobering reminder of the effects of the virus on the travel industry.

The busiest store I saw was the Apple store, and even that had only a handful of shoppers.

A few of the restaurants were busier than the shops, but not by much.

Nearby on the same level, the Imax movie theater didn't seem to be nearly as popular. (It's possible, though, that I happened to walk by in between showtimes and therefore wouldn't have seen people gathered outside.)

As the afternoon wore on, I started seeing small groups of teenagers wandering around.

The liveliest part of the entire Jewel terminal was the underground food court.

Things may be starting to look up slightly for Singapore's tourism industry as vaccines begin to roll out. But Changi Airport and the rest of the city-state won't be getting back to normal anytime soon.