Changi Airport gives air cargo 20% landing fee rebate

And more perks underway to support the sector, find them out.

Changi Airport Group (CAG) announced today that it has put in place a S$15-million cargo support package under the Changi Airport Growth Initiative (CAGi) to support the air cargo sector for the new financial year starting 1 April 2012.

The package includes a 20% landing fee rebate at Singapore Changi Airport for all freighter flights, partnership funding support for new cargo development initiatives, as well as up to 20% rental rebates for cargo tenants leasing CAG cargo facilities at the Changi Airfreight Centre.

While passenger traffic at Changi has been growing strongly over the past two years, the air cargo sector has been facing strong headwinds due to the ongoing economic slowdown in the US and Europe, coupled with persistently high jet fuel prices.

The International Air Transport Association has reported that the global air cargo market contracted 0.7% in 2011.
Asia Pacific, the largest international air cargo market with 40% market share, declined the most by 4.8%.
Although airfreight movements at Changi Airport rose by 2.8% to 1.87 million tonnes last year, it has only recovered to 2008 levels1.

Under the CAGi scheme, CAG will also extend a 5% across-the-board rebate on landing fees for all passenger airlines at Changi Airport2 in the new financial year.

Other CAGi incentives remain in place to support existing airlines’ traffic growth at Changi Airport and the launch of services to new destinations, as well as to attract new airlines.

These rebates and incentives moderate operating costs for airlines at Changi Airport which together operate more than 6,100 flights each week.

CAG will also continue to work with airlines to drive traffic demand to their key markets through joint marketing activities targeting both trade partners as well as passengers.

For example, CAG twice partnered airlines, travel agents and the Japan National Tourism Organisation to promote travel to Japan following the earthquake which hit the country last March.

On-going at the moment is a CAG-sponsored campaign with airlines and travel agents to boost travel demand for the new flights between Singapore and Chinese secondary cities such as Changsha and Zhengzhou.