Then and now: 1981 photo of a packed Changi airport resurfaces

After a 1981 photograph of a packed Changi airport was shared on the online news forum, Reddit, netizens came together to reminisce and compare the drastic difference between 1981 and the present, when most countries around the world have had to close their borders because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Redditor @HengArIKeat2bPM on Wednesday (July 12) shared a 1981 black and white photo that captured a busy Changi airport on the Reddit group, Reddit Singapore. 

Passengers checking in at Changi Airport’s departure hall on July 1, 1981, the day the new airport opened for business from singapore

“Passengers checking in at Changi Airport’s departure hall on July 1, 1981, the day the new airport opened for business,” the caption read.

The photo, shared at a time when most of the world is just coming out of lockdown which has been implemented as a necessary response to the Covid-10 pandemic, caused many netizens to take to the comments section to contrast the busy 1981 scene with how one of the world’s most renowned airports is today.

Some users pointed out the difference between what people used to wear when traveling and what people wear now. “Back when people actually (wore) formal to take a ride on a plane,” wrote Redditor @wildheart38.

“Not a single person in shorts and slippers,” said @d3cbl.

Others pointed out the vintage suitcases that had to be carried around because they had no wheels. One even posited that back then, there were no bag fees.

This photo stands in stark contrast to the current state of Changi, as well as that of its counterparts around the world. With the spread of Covid-19, international travel has dropped significantly.

According to a recent report by CNBC, even notable airline industries are facing challenges to recover from the major drop in operations due to the travel bans and lockdowns around the world.