Changi Airport's passenger movement soars 12% to 48m in FY12

Thanks to six new city links and four new airlines that were added.

In a statement, Changi Airport Group released its  annual report for the financial year ended 31 March 2012 (FY11/12). CAG closed the  year, its third post-corporatisation, with a strong set of operating results, notwithstanding  the uncertain global economic outlook and a challenging operating environment marked by high fuel prices, political uncertainties in the Middle East, and the earthquake which hit Japan in March 2011.

“During the financial year, CAG achieved breakthrough on both the aeronautical and nonaeronautical fronts, registering all-time highs for passenger traffic and retail sales at Changi Airport. Together with our partners and the airport community, we strengthened our core capabilities and built on our fundamentals to develop a strong air hub, achieve robust commercial operations and deliver an award-winning airport experience,” said Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of CAG.

In FY11/12, Changi Airport scaled a significant milestone with its handling of a record 48 million passenger movements, an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. Despite a slowing global economy, the Group’s efforts to grow new routes and increase flight frequencies – through closer collaboration with airlines partners and intensified  marketing initiatives – came to fruition.

Six new city links and four new airlines were added, augmenting Changi’s position as one of the world’s most connected air hubs. Passenger traffic growth remained healthy across all regions, in particular Asia-Pacific, led by double-digit growth in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.

Steady demand for air freight in the Asia Pacific region enabled Changi Airport to deliver a positive report card for its cargo operations during the financial year. Some 1.87 million  Media Releasetonnes of cargo were handled during FY11/12, an increase of 2.3% compared to the previous year. One of the 10 busiest international airfreight hubs in the world today. Changi has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1981, when it handled only 180,000 tonnes of cargo.

On the non-aeronautical front, the Group turned in a sterling retail performance during the  financial year, raising concession sales at Changi Airport by 19% to a record S$1.75 billion – outstripping the growth in passenger traffic for the year. This places Changi  firmly among the top four airports in the world in terms of annual retail sales turnover.

Beyond being driven by strong traffic numbers, Changi Airport’s robust retail performance in FY11/12 was attributable to several key strategic retail initiatives including the expansion of the retail footprint at Changi, a strong and relevant retail mix, effective promotions to stimulate sales, and close collaboration with concessionaires to achieve joint growth.