Just when we thought the GST hike coming up "between 2021 and 2025" was the biggest money-related pain point we'd have to digest this month, in comes another — a new airport tax.

In a joint announcement on Wednesday, Feb. 28, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport said they will be introducing a new airport development levy of S$10.80 for passengers travelling out of Changi Airport, and S$3 for passengers transiting through Changi Airport, on their journeys.

This will be payable as part of air tickets purchased from July 1, 2018 onwards.

But wait, there's more.

Changi Airport is also raising its fees for passengers travelling out of the airport from S$27.90 currently to S$30.40 for air tickets issued from July 1 (for travel up to March 31, 2019), and thereafter, it'll continue to go up -- by S$2.50 per year, over six years -- until it settles at S$45.40 in 2024.

Adding in the new airport tax, that'll take you up to S$62.30 by 2024 for each air ticket you buy to fly out of Changi Airport.

And we haven't talked fuel surcharges either.

Why?

There is a much longer explanation to this, but in short, they need money to build the new Changi East project -- no, not Jewel, but a terminal unlike anything we've ever seen in Singapore so far.

The entire project is bigger than everything Changi Airport is now, combined.

So, it'll need lots of money (tens of billions of dollars is what we are told -- nothing more specific than that, sorry), and the government will chip in (more than half of the amount).

But the rest of the money has to come from somewhere, and it'll come from Changi Airport itself, and from us -- the passengers -- whom they're getting to chip in through these taxes and fees.

So here's a rundown of the new fees and taxes you'll have to pay for each air ticket you buy:

The amount you pay in taxes for an air ticket flying out of Changi Airport is made up of:

1. The Passenger Service and Security Fee
2. The Aviation Levy (carved out from item 1 in 2009) and from July 1,
3. The new Airport Development Levy.

Currently:

Passengers starting their journeys from Changi Airport will pay (1) S$27.90 + (2) S$6.10 = S$34.

Passengers transiting through Changi Airport will pay (1) S$6.

For tickets bought on or after July 1, 2018:

Passengers starting their journeys from Changi Airport will pay (1) S$30.40 + (2) S$6.10 + (3) S$10.80 = S$47.30.

Passengers transiting through Changi Airport will pay (1) S$6 + (3) S$3 = S$9.

The amount for transiting passengers won't change, but it will for passengers starting their journeys from Changi Airport, adding up until it hits a total of S$62.30 in 2024.

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These fees and taxes will be reviewed at that point, say the Ministry of Transport and CAAS.

Do the charges stack?

Yessiree. If, say, you're flying Sydney → Singapore → London → Singapore → Sydney, you pay $6 in airport tax because you pass through Singapore twice.

Is it confirmed?

Not really, but soon.

The government on Wednesday submitted a bill to Parliament that includes these new changes (but not its details) as part of a series of other proposed modifications to existing law.

If the bill moves forward, it'll be debated, passed and signed into law as soon as next month -- after which relevant preparations will be made for the new fees and taxes to kick in on July 1.

So you have been warned -- quickly buy all the air tickets you can as far ahead as is allowed if you already have confirmed dates of travel, before the prices go up.

Top photo adapted from screenshot from Changi Airport T5 video