SINGAPORE - Travellers and visitors heading to Changi Airport Terminal 1 (T1) will finally have their own carpark, instead of having to park at T2 and hop onto the inter-terminal Skytrain.

Four years after the old open-air carpark in front of T1 was removed to build Jewel - a 10-storey mainly commercial complex with five levels of basement parking - the airport is ready to partially open the carpark from Nov 20.

About half of the 2,500 parking spaces will be available initially, and the rest when Jewel opens early next year.

The old carpark had a total of 850 parking spaces.

The top two carpark floors at Jewel will be reserved for short-term parking, with rates shooting up from 4 cents a minute to $5 per half-hour after the first 90 minutes.

Parking on the other lower floors will cost 4 cents a minute, regardless of time.

Changi Airport Group's Su Chun Yang, general manager, T1 expansion programme management office, said that the two-tiered parking is necessary to ensure that there are enough lots for those who need to get to T1 to see off or welcome travellers.

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"Parking at B2M and B2 - the top two basement floors - offers direct and convenient access to the arrival hall so we want to ensure that the 440 parking spaces at those two floors are available for meeters and greeters.

"For those who wish to stay longer or access Jewel when it opens next year, there will be more than enough parking spaces for them at the lower floors."

There will be signs to inform drivers of the tiered charges at B2M and B2, and exit routes to take them to the lower floors even if they end up on the wrong level, Mr Su said.

Those who stay longer than expected, for example if a flight is delayed, can also move their vehicles to the lower floors before 90 minutes, to avoid the higher charges.

Drivers heading to T1 after the carpark opens at 2am on Nov 20, should follow the many signs that will be put up to direct them.

Nearer the control tower, they should keep right, travel along the lane towards the 'T1 Car Park' sign and use the down ramp to access the carpark.

Insurance agent Dominic Wong, 27, said: "It's very inconvenient to pick friends and relatives from T1 because we have to lug all their bags in the Skytrain so I'm happy the carpark is finally ready."