Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) will reopen its Terminal 2 (T2) from May 29 following a two-year closure.

When traffic plummeted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Changi Airport Group (CAG)–which runs SIN–closed T2 so that the facility’s major expansion project could be accelerated. When the project is completed in 2024, T2’s capacity will increase from five million passengers annually to 28 million passengers per year, according to CAG.

The terminal will reopen in phases. “Key touch points such as arrival immigration, baggage claim belts and contact gates at the southern wing of the terminal will be ready for flight operations” from May 29, CAG said.

At the start, “T2 will host mainly peak-hour arrival flights of airlines operating in Terminal 3,” CAG said, adding that “a small number of T3 departure flights may use boarding gates at T2, although passengers on these flights will continue to check in and clear departure immigration at T3.”

The expanded T2 will include automated immigration lanes allowing faster access for arriving Singaporeans, Singapore residents and “eligible foreign visitors” who have provided iris and facial biometrics to Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. “As more passengers are enrolled, the number of automated immigration lanes will be increased,” CAG said.

“CAG is encouraged to see the strong pickup in travel demand and has worked closely with our partners to bring forward the progressive reopening of T2 ahead of the June travel peak to meet this demand,” CAG executive VP for airport management Tan Lye Teck said. “The start of flight operations at T2 will provide more capacity to support our airline partners, who are also gearing up to serve more passengers in the months ahead. T2 will reopen in phases over the next two years to support Changi’s recovery as a regional air hub.”