Changi Airport adopts more carriers

CHANGI AIRPORT   AVIATION

Singapore - Changi Airport's regional aviation hub status will be strengthened with the addition of new carriers from within the region.

The airport currently services about 90 airlines and expects to cater to 100 airlines by 2015, CNA reports.

It has adopted Malaysian airline Firefly and India's Kingfisher last year. Another three airlines like Indonesia's Mandala and Finnair will also be added to the carrier list this year, with the airport expecting three more by end 2010.

Lim Ching Kiat, director of marketing development at Changi Airport Group says the airport can handle up to 70 million passengers per annum and still has sufficient capacity.

"There's room in terms of parking bay, in terms of runway, airspace capacity," he adds.

Meanwhile, aviation analysts believe more airlines in Asia will be operating from Singapore.

Shukor Yusof, aviation analyst at Standard & Poor's says it is easily manageable for Changi when it comes to regional carriers. There is also an attraction for airlines within four to five hour radius as passengers are able to fly in and out of Changi quickly.

However, observers feel Changi Airport can strengthen its hub status further by finding ways to lower fees and charges and increase flexibility in how they tailor solutions for different specific needs.

Industry watchers expect the airport to see over 40 million visitors annually over the next five years because it remains the best-connected airport in Southeast Asia.

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