• Jewel Changi Airport
    Singapore Changi Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    SIN/WSSS
    Country:
    Singapore
    CEO:
    Lee Seow Hiang
    Passenger Count :
    3,053,000 (2021)
    Runways :
    02L/20R - 4,000m (13,123ft) | 02C/20C - 4,000m (13,123ft) | 02R/20L - 4,000m (13,123ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Terminal 4 | JetQuay CIP Terminal

Opening borders and easing rules for fully vaccinated travelers are starting to bear fruit for Singapore. Encouraged by a reduction of COVID severity and the prospect of traveling mostly unrestricted this summer, passengers are increasingly transitioning through Singapore Changi Airport, with the island nation’s aviation authority revealing numbers that paint a hopeful picture for the future.

31% of pre-pandemic levels

On April 18th, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) stated that the number of people passing through Changi Airport in the past week has reached 31% of the average weekly passenger traffic in 2019.

To get a sense of how the recent opening of the border has influenced these numbers, passenger footfall stood at 18% last month, but 400,000 travelers passed through Singapore in the week ending on Sunday.

CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan commented,

"We are seeing good air travel recovery and expect numbers to further increase, especially in the upcoming May Day-Hari Raya Puasa long weekend and the June school holiday season.”

According to the aviation authority, the number of passenger flights to and from Singapore in the last week has also increased to 38% of pre-pandemic levels – up from 29% a month ago. Traffic volume increased for all major markets, with robust growth for traffic to and from Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Of course, the numbers are still significantly low compared to pre-COVID days when Singapore handled 68 million passenger movements, but the latest figures have made CAAS hopeful that Singapore is on track to restoring half of the pre-Covid-19 passenger volume by the end of this year.

Singapore Changi Airport
Photo: Getty Images

Changi coming back to life

It wasn’t just airlines bearing the brunt of the pandemic; several other businesses, particularly at major airports, had to shut shop. But with passengers now gradually coming back, there’s renewed hope.

Bloomberg reports that around 65% of the shops in Changi’s transit area are now open, reaching almost 90% in the public areas of Terminals 1 and 3. But the airport wasn’t in idle mode even during the pandemic. Hidden from public view, Changi had been preparing to welcome back passengers all this while.

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From enhancing self-check-in kiosks and baggage drops to using automated immigration gates that scan faces and irises if those biometrics are registered in a passport, Changi Airport has made several changes during the COVID lull. Air conditioning and mechanical ventilation have also been fitted with hospital-grade filters and ultraviolet sanitization systems, and autonomous cleaning robots are now using misting to disinfect carpets.

Airplane silhouette
Photo: Getty Images

Dethroning Hong Kong?

Given the uptick in passenger numbers in Singapore, it’s natural to contrast it with what’s happening in Hong Kong. Simple Flying has done a detailed analysis of how COVID restrictions continue to beat down Cathay Pacific and seriously jeopardize Hong Kong International Airport’s reputation as an aviation hub.

Bloomberg states that Changi handled 1.42 million passengers in the first two months of 2022, a jump from 263,000 in the same period a year ago. In comparison, Hong Kong handled 157,000 passengers in January and February.

Some speculate that Hong Kong is unlikely to emerge in good health from the pandemic anytime soon and that Singapore Changi Airport could become the region’s busiest airport for international travel in 2022.

The report quotes Willie Walsh, director-general of IATA, as saying,

“It’s effectively off the map now, and I think it’s going to be difficult for Hong Kong to recover.”

Have you traveled through Singapore Changi Airport? Do share your experience in the comment section.

Source: BloombergQuint