The airport handled fewer passengers in Sept, compared with the same month last year. A total of 2.89 million passengers went through Changi, a 0.4 per cent year-on-year dip.

It is the first time traffic volumes have slipped since February 2004, a Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore spokesman said in response to queries.

Read Karamjit Kaur's full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.