Changi airport remains busy despite drop in Japanese travelers

Passenger traffic rose 7.5% YoY to 3.71 million in March 2011 even with a 9.6% decline in passenger movement between Singapore and Tokyo.

Passenger movement between Japan and Singapore, meanwhile, decreased by 5%

For 1Q11, Changi Airport registered 10.9 million passenger movements, an increase of 9.5% compared to the same period last year.

This was underpinned by double-digit growth for traffic to and from Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.

Changi also handled some 70,400 aircraft movements during the same period, up 12.3% YoY, while airfreight movements increased 2.9% to 441,400 tonnes of cargo, up 2.9% compared to last year.

Aircraft movements for the month increased 13.0% to 24,400 as low cost carriers (LCCs) continued to enjoy very strong growth. LCC passenger traffic rose 22.8% during the month, and, year-to-date, accounted for about 24% all traffic at Changi.

On the cargo front, March 2011 was Changi's busiest month in three years, with airfreight movements
increasing 5.6% to 166,100 tonnes.

In a statement, Changi Airport said Singapore Airlines' introduction of flights to Sao Paulo via Barcelona thrice weekly starting March 28 marked a "significant milestone" for the airport.

"This is the first time that Changi is connected to the South American continent," it said.

As of 1 April 2011, Changi serves some 100 airlines operating 5,600 weekly flights to more than 200 cities in 60 countries and territories.