The number of passengers passing through the air hub has exceeded half of its pre-pandemic figures for the first time.
Given how small the country is and the lack of a domestic aviation sector, the pandemic undoubtedly turned Singapore's Changi International Airport into something resembling a ghost town for the past two years. Recovery has moved slowly but is now firmly on the right trajectory Singapore Airlines Group recorded 60% of pre-pandemic passenger capacity a couple of weeks ago. With the leading airline group doing well, it inevitably translates to rising passenger numbers within the airline group's primary hub.
In June 2022, Changi Airport handled nearly three million passenger movements, representing approximately 50.3% of its pre-pandemic passenger traffic for the same month, which stood at 5.8 million. The airport registered passenger traffic amounting to about 7.33 million from April till June, just under 44% of pre-pandemic levels. Though the quarter numbers still lagged, it showed a tremendous jump of at least 14 times compared to the same quarter last year.
Passenger traffic to and from the Americas rebounded the strongest amongst the various markets to exceed pre-pandemic levels by 7.13%, supported by the addition of flights to Canada since December 2021. Regions outside East Asia, including Europe, Oceania, and South Asia, also saw a strong recovery during the quarter, with passenger movements past 60% of pre-pandemic levels. The increasing figures were primarily due to the holiday season and the re-opening of several countries worldwide.
Besides a promising stream of passengers, Changi Airport has also handled several more flight movements, totaling 18,400 for both arrivals and departures and representing more than 58% of pre-pandemic figures. Included in these flight movements were reinstated flight services from several airlines, such as Indonesia's AirAsia resuming flights to Bali and Jakarta. Scoot and AirAsia Berhad had also reinstated flight services to Hat Yai in Thailand and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, respectively.
In this recent quarter, the international air hub welcomed four new operators to its gates. They include Thai VietJet flying from Singapore to Bangkok, Bamboo Airways offering flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and T'Way Air offering flight services to Seoul. Connectivity with South Korea was even further strengthened when yet another Korean carrier joined the leagues, as Air Premia launched four-weekly flight operations, and local low-cost carrier Scoot began a new Jeju service.
While passenger and aircraft movements have increased by several folds, airfreight movements within the airport for June registered under a 2% increase year-on-year, registering 163,000 tonnes. Quarter-wise, airfreight movements amounted to 469,000 tonnes, a slight yearly decline of 1.4%. Supply chain disruptions arising from pandemic lockdowns in China and geopolitical tensions have undoubtedly impacted air cargo traffic, particularly during the months of April and May. The quarter's top five air cargo markets were China, Hong Kong, Australia, the US, and Japan.
Changi also welcomed a new freighter operator Atlas Air, which operates a weekly Singapore-Narita-Dallas cargo service. Despite the slight impact on freight, Changi Airport has undoubtedly been on a smooth recovery road and is confident the numbers will keep rising. Lim Ching Kiat, Changi Airport Group’s Managing Director for Air Hub Development, said:
“We are encouraged by the steady increase in passenger traffic as it is a sign that we are getting back on the trajectory of growth towards pre-pandemic levels. The reopening of Terminal 4 and partial opening of Terminal 2 will give us the capacity to support our airline partners’ efforts in restarting services and launching new routes, which are critical for us to capture post-pandemic demand for air travel."
Undoubtedly, Asia has been the slowest recovering region compared to other markets, with passenger traffic still below 25% of pre-pandemic levels. Still, Changi Airport has done considerably well at inching towards pre-pandemic capacity. Compared to other international hubs worldwide, a halved capacity reached doesn't seem as bad either as London's Heathrow Airport was 83% in May, and Australia's Sydney Airport was 88%.
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As Changi Airport continues attracting more passengers, it is also trying to regain its once-untouchable title of the World's Best Airport, as recognized by Skytrax. The Singapore air hub lost its prestigious title last year to Hamad International Airport, again lost the title this year, and was further displaced to third, as Tokyo's Haneda International Airport rose to second, and Narita International Airport taking fourth. It seems that Changi certainly has its work cut out to ensure it repaints itself as the international air hub to connect through.
Journalist – Charlotte is currently pursuing a full-time undergraduate degree majoring in Aviation Business Administration and minoring in Air Traffic Management. Charlotte previously wrote for AirlineGeeks. Based in Singapore.