Changi Airport can handle traffic growth

Changi Airport can handle traffic growth: Transport Minister

Changi Airport's total capacity of 73 million passenger movements per year is sufficient to cope with traffic growth in the near to medium term.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim said this in a written reply to MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Dr Lam Pin Min's question on Changi Airport's growth.

He said this is about 45 per cent more than the 40 million passenger movements that the Changi Airport Group (CAG) expects in 2010.

Changi Airport handled more than 34 million passengers in the first ten months of this year, which is a 15 per cent year-on-year increase over 2009.

Changi also handled over 1.5 million tonnes of cargo in the same period this year, a 13 per cent year-on-year increase.

The International Air Transport Association has projected strong traffic growth of about 35 per cent for the Asia Pacific region over the next four years, driven by the robust economic growth of major economies like China and India.

"Building capacity ahead of demand has been a key driver for the success of Changi Airport, and the regulatory framework will ensure that post-corporatisation, there will continue to be sufficient capacity at Changi Airport to handle future increases in traffic," Mr Lim said.

Changi Airport was corporatised in July last year, and with it came a regulatory framework to provide investment by CAG in airport infrastructure, runways and other facilities.

-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-