World’s best airport Changi sees passenger traffic soar to over 5 million

Singapore’s Changi Airport, ranked the best in the world, saw passenger traffic surge close to pre-pandemic levels last month amid summer travel demand.
The airport handled 5.12 million passengers in June, crossing the five million mark for the first time since January 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, according to a Changi Airport Group statement. The figure, amounting to 88 percent of passenger traffic in June 2019, shows the city-state is well on its way to renewing international ties.

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“Changi has regained more than 80 percent of its pre-COVID-19 city links,” Lim Ching Kiat, executive vice president for air hub and cargo development, said in the statement. The airport is working to build ties to more points in China and Southeast Asia in the second half of the year.

The rebound comes during the peak summer vacation period, as travelers largely buck worries about inflation and a global economic slowdown. It’s a similar story in the US, where passenger counts have largely recovered to pre-pandemic levels as consumers dip into their savings for travel.

The top markets for the Southeast Asian hub were Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand in the second quarter. Passenger traffic to and from Northeast Asia rose to 75 percent of pre-pandemic levels in June, up from about 50 percent in January.

The momentum may pick up further as the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix kicks off in September and string of sold-out high-profile concerts featuring performers including Taylor Swift and Coldplay take place early next year.

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