PASSENGER numbers on Singapore Airlines declined 6.1 per cent in November compared with last year, its biggest fall in more than five years.

It is also the second drop in the past three months, with numbers down year-on-year in September.

November's fall was he largest drop since a 7.6 per cent decline in August 2003.

Across its network, while the number of seats grew by 1.1 per cent from this time last year, passenger demand did not match the capacity increase.

The decline in traffic pushed passenger load factor (PLF) down by 3 percentage points to 78.1 per cent. The amount of cargo handled also contracted, by 12.4 per cent year-on-year. This pushed the cargo load factor down by 4.2 percentage points to 60.3 per cent.

The airline, the world's largest carrier by market value, said November's figure looked particularly grim as it was being compared with the 'exceptionally robust' numbers put up in November last year.

Chief executive Chew Choon Seng said last month that the airline was 'a long way off' from having to consider job cuts, as top-line revenue was still strong.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.