Singapore’s Changi Airport handles record 58.7 M passengers in 2016

SINGAPORE—Singapore’s Changi Airport recorded an all-time high of 58.7 million passenger movements in 2016, a 5.9 percent increase from the previous year, said Changi Airport Group in a statement on Monday.

Routes to Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and Oceania contributed 90 percent of the growth in passenger traffic, said the airport.

Among all, China posted highest growth of 15 percent and moved from fifth to become Changi Airport’s third largest country market for the year, after Indonesia and Malaysia.

Visitor arrivals from Thailand and Vietnam also grew in 2016, up 6 percent and 8 percent respectively from 2015.

In terms of airfreight throughput, growth was recorded across imports, exports and transshipments, said the statement.

Total cargo posted a record at 1.97 million tonnes for 2016, a 6.3 percent rise from the year before.

CEO of Changi Airport Group Lee Seow Hiang said 2016 was a record-breaking year for Changi Airport, with passenger traffic and cargo throughput both registering new peaks.

“Despite a backdrop of economic and socio-political uncertainties, we maintain a positive outlook for the year ahead,” said Lee.

Changi sees opportunities in emerging markets within Africa and eastern Europe. It will continue to grow its long-haul routes to western Europe, and strengthen connectivity within the region to secondary cities in southeast Asia, China and India, he added.

Based on 2015 figure, Changi Airport is the world’s sixth busiest for international traffic. It is expected to open its fourth terminal in the second half of 2017.