Changi Airport breaks new passenger records

It was a busy 2011 as the airport handled 46.5 million passenger movements, up 10.7% yoy.

Aircraft movements also grew 14.5% yoy to a new peak of 302,000, due to brisk traffic in Asia-Pacific. But the expected dwindling of global travel in 2012 downturn will put pressures on further growth. 

"Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia were the two best performing regions registering double-digit growth while traffic to and from South Asia and Southwest Pacific also enjoyed good growth," said the Changi Airport Group in a release.

"Long-haul traffic between Singapore and Europe continued to increase as Changi Airport Group (CAG) worked with airlines to drive demand and enhance connectivity. Significant developments in 2011 include the commencement of Finnair’s daily non-stop HelsinkiSingapore service and the introduction of Lufthansa’s A380 service on the FrankfurtSingapore route. Changi Airport is now the world’s busiest multi-carrier A380 hub," CAG said.

"There was little change to the rankings of Changi Airport’s top 10 routes with Jakarta, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Manila occupying the top five positions. Despite a significant drop immediately after the March earthquake and tsunami, air travel to Japan recovered in the second half of the year and Tokyo has retained its position as one of Changi’s busiest routes. For the year, passenger traffic between Singapore and Japan grew by 2%, buoyed by industry efforts to revive travel demand," it said.

"Among sectors with at least half a million passengers, Taipei, Manila, New Delhi, Melbourne and Hong Kong registered the strongest percentage growth, reflecting the addition of capacity as well as an increase in demand to and from these markets," it added.

But despite its bullish performance, Changi Airport will not be immune to the foreseen dip in 2012 as fliers cut back on air travel.

“The outlook for 2012 remains hazy with the aviation industry expected to face volatile conditions. Demand for travel may moderate as a result of more subdued consumer confidence. Nonetheless, CAG will continue to work with its stakeholders to face these challenges and capture opportunities to grow together," CAG said.