Due to the low jet fuel prices, affordable air travel key and rising air transport demand Changi Airport still retains the position of the world’s sixth busiest international passenger traffic.
Dubai International Airport, London’s Heathrow Airport and the Hong Kong International Airport are among the top three.
Changi had a traffic that increased by 6.1 per cent with 58.2 million passengers as per the data by the Airports Council international (ACI), a trade body representing airports. ACI further confirmed that the airports had 7.7 billion travellers last year across all regions except Africa.
Asia had more than a third of the total traffic, there was a revival in the second half despite the backdrop of economic uncertainty in the trade policies in the United States and the United Kingdom, which are considered to be the world’s largest aviation sector.
Angela Gittens, the director-general of ACI mentioned that the traffic data over the last two decades has brought the an unprecedented growth in the aviation sector.Rapid urbanization is also a key factor in the growth. There might be impediments that could hinder the rise in demand that might be because of geopolitical unrest, terrorism and threats to security. She further warned that physical capacity considerations and potential bottlenecks in the air transport.
Experts mentioned that some of the airports like the Changi are preparing for the future with capacity investments. By October 31, Terminal 4 will open and a third runway will be open for commercial flights and new measures will help in reduced separation between the flights. The airport is also reaching out to airlines to bring in new routes and products.
