Changi Airport Passes 60-Million Passenger Movements in 2017

Changi Airport Group celebrated the crossing of yet another milestone on Monday, recording 60 million passenger movements in 2017, a first in a calendar year.

With more than 60 million passengers now passing through Changi Airport yearly, the aviation sector will continue to be a key contributor to Singapore’s economy. It provides more than 160,000 jobs, and contributes 6 percent of Singapore’s GDP. The steady growth in aviation is expected to continue, with Asia as the centre of aviation growth in the next 20 years.

Since Changi Airport’s opening in 1981, four terminals have opened to cater for the airport’s growth, with Terminal 4 commencing operations on 31 October this year. Passenger traffic has increased steadily in the last 36 years. By 1986, Changi was already serving more than 10 million passengers per annum (mppa), and this increased to 20 mppa in 1994, 30 mppa in 2004, 40 mppa in 2010 and 50 mppa in 2012. In April this year, the airport recorded its 1 billionth passenger since opening.

Changi Airport Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lee Seow Hiang said, “We commemorate an important milestone in 2017 with record passenger traffic of more than 60 million. It is a proud moment for all of us in the airport community and is the result of years of hard work and dedication to grow the Changi air hub to what it is today. It was only in 2012 that we marked our 50 million milestone. Five years on, we have increased annual traffic by 20% or 10 million.”

For November, Singapore Changi Airport registered 5.17 million passenger movements, a year-on-year growth of 8.1%. There was a 10.7% increase in airfreight throughput to 191,680 tonnes, while aircraft movements rose 4.8% to 31,140 landings and takeoffs.

Passenger traffic for all regions grew at least 6%. All of Changi’s top 20 country markets recorded positive growth. Countries which achieved double digit growth include China, Myanmar, United Kingdom and United States. Among Changi’s top 20 routes, Phuket (+19%), Bangkok (+17%) and London (+14%) were the fastest growing.

As at 1 December 2017, more than 100 airlines operate at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to some 380 cities in about 90 countries and territories worldwide. With more than 7,000 weekly scheduled flights, an aircraft takes off or lands at Changi roughly once every 90 seconds. 

“With the new Terminal 4, and our upcoming development projects such as the expansion of Terminal 1, the Changi East project as well as a new passenger terminal at Seletar Airport, we are ensuring that our country's airports continue to have sufficient capacity to meet the region’s demand for air travel in the decades ahead, and contribute to Singapore’s economic success in the long run,” added Mr Lee Seow Hiang.

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