by: Raya Johan Biasca / April 21, 2022
Singapore’s air passenger traffic soars, as borders reopened, at 31% of pre-pandemic levels, taking in 400,000 passengers for the week ending on April 17, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) expressed in a press release on Monday, April 18.
The number of passenger flights also increased to 38% of pre-pandemic levels in the week ending on April 17, up from 29% a month ago, as Singapore targets to restore 50% of their pre-COVID passenger volume by this year.
The country was one of the first in Asia that removed all existing vaccinated travel lanes (VTL) and unilateral opening arrangements from April 1 that allowed entry for all fully vaccinated travelers and children aged 12 and below, regardless of where they are from, without quarantine. Visitors are permitted entry with just a pre-departure COVID-19 test.
According to CAAS, the rise in air passenger traffic was broad-based, with traffic volume increasing for all major markets, with particularly substantial increases for travel to and from Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Direct traffic rose for international and local visitors, with Singapore citizens and permanent residents making up 32% of total direct traffic.
Airlines such as Air New Zealand, Myanmar Airways International, and PT Batik Air Indonesia restarted scheduled passenger flights to Singapore. Air links with cities, particularly Cairns, Da Nang, Kota Kinabalu, Madurai, and Riyadh, were re-established.
CAAS also said it is collaborating with the aviation community to boost operations and staff to meet demand as air traffic improves in 2022, as well as to restore and reclaim Singapore’s status as a major air hub. The aviation industry contributes more than 5% of the city-state’s gross domestic product and employs over 200,000 people.
Mr. Han Kok Juan, Director-General of the CAAS, said, “It has been just two weeks since we reopened our borders more broadly. We are seeing good air travel recovery and expect numbers to further increase, especially in the upcoming May Day-Hari Raya Puasa long weekend and the June school holiday season.”