SINGAPORE: Changi Airport has recently drawn criticism from a foreign tourist who questioned its carpeted floors, complained about crowded security checks and said the airport lacked convenient places to buy snacks.
In an online post, the passenger described the airport as “the most useless airport I’ve ever seen”, adding that “every step of the airport is causing trouble”.
The passenger, believed to be from the UAE, posted her complaints online, primarily questioning who had decided to install carpets at Changi Airport. According to the report, she criticised the decision using vulgar language and described the airport as the most useless she had ever visited.
For the passenger, it is unreasonable for airports to have carpets on the grounds of reducing noise, as there are many other flooring materials available that can both reduce noise and provide a smooth surface. Aside from the carpets, she also complained that the airport has no convenience stores for travellers to buy snacks.
Additionally, the passenger voiced her concerns about the security checks of the airport, and how the staff prevented passengers from entering a shuttle train when they announced another boarding gate area. She also pointed out the chaotic security arrangements at the boarding gates, stating that hundreds of passengers from three or four flights were sharing only two security lanes.
Following the complaints, some netizens admitted that the carpets are a feature of Changi Airport, and it was not a problem at all. Some agreed that they didn’t like the carpets at first, but later on accepted them as it makes the airport much quieter.
However, there are some who agree that the airport could review its existing arrangements and be open to further improvements.
In other related news involving public spaces, a group of smokers was seen gathered outside Woodlands MRT station, sitting in rows and smoking while carelessly discarding cigarette butts on the ground. The littering has raised concerns over public hygiene and potential safety hazards.
Read more about the news story here.