Aviation hub recovery taking flight

In March this year, 1.14 million passengers passed through Changi Airport, the first time that number crossed the million mark since 2020. It represents a significant step forward in the recovery of the aviation sector, which plays a crucial role in ensuring Singapore's position as a global trading and business hub. Momentum is gathering apace and can be expected to see an upswing with the June holiday period just over a month away. Following the April 1 opening of Singapore's borders to all travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the weekly passenger traffic through the airport for the week ended April 17 reached 31 per cent of average pre-Covid-19 levels - close to double the 18 per cent recorded a month earlier.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said growth in traffic is on track to meet the target of achieving half of pre-Covid-19 passenger volume by the end of this year. Before the pandemic hit in 2020, some 68.3 million travellers passed through Changi Airport. Underlining the growing confidence in the recovery, industry observers are hopeful that one or both of the currently shuttered Terminals 2 and 4 will be reopened soon. The foundation for the recovery of the aviation sector and the opening up was laid with the launch of the first quarantine-free vaccinated travel lane in September last year. One crucial factor paving the way for the reopening was that 96 per cent of the eligible population here have now fully completed their vaccination regimen.