SINGAPORE - Changi Airport handled 5 million passengers in May, 4.6 per cent more than the same month a year ago.

Aircraft movements rose 3.2 per cent to 31,200 landings and takeoffs, while cargo shipments saw strong growth of 12.6 per cent to reach 177,340 tonnes.

The increase in passenger traffic was boosted by a strong 17 per cent growth in South Asia traffic, Changi Airport Group said.

Among the airport's top 10 country markets, India led the gainers with a 21 per cent year-on-year growth, with traffic to and from Mumbai and Chennai rising by more than 20 per cent.

Another major market, China, also registered double-digit growth of 11 per cent, with more than half a million passengers in May, or about one in ten passengers at Changi during the month.

Cargo shipments also increased with improvements across exports, imports and transhipments. With stable recovery of industrial activity in the United States, Germany and Japan, airfreight to and from these markets saw particularly strong growth.

As of June 1, more than 100 airlines operate at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to some 380 cities in about 90 countries and territories worldwide.

With more than 7,000 weekly scheduled flights, an aircraft takes off or lands at Changi roughly once every 90 seconds, the airport said.

To cater for continued growth in the air travel market, Changi will open Terminal 4 later this year which will add 16 million passengers a year to the airport's handling capacity.