Changi Airport Committed to Forging Stronger Ties With Airline Partners Amid Challenging Times

25 airlines bestowed top honours at Changi Airline Awards 2009

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) tonight honoured the top contributors to Singapore Changi Airport's passenger and air freight traffic in 2008 at the fourth annual Changi Airline Awards.

The ceremony, held at Changi Airport Terminal 3's Crowne Plaza Hotel, was graced by Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Lim.

Minister Lim said, "The international aviation industry is currently badly affected by the economic downturn and the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) outbreak. Thus, it is crucial that Changi Airport forge even closer partnerships with the airline community, so that we can weather this storm together. Tonight's event shows Changi Airport's on-going commitment to deepen its already strong ties with airline partners."

More than 30 awards were presented, including'Top 10 Airlines by Passenger Carriage';'Top 10 Airlines by Cargo Carriage';'Top 5 Airlines by Growth in Passenger Carriage'and'Top 5 Airlines by Growth in Cargo Carriage'.

Based on 2008 traffic figures, the winners in the'Top 10 Airlines by Passenger Carriage'category remain unchanged from the previous year's awards, while the'Top 10 Airlines by Cargo Carriage'category saw one new entry this year -Nippon Cargo Airlines. This is also the first time thatNippon Cargo Airlineshas won at the Changi Airlines Awards. On the other hand, eight out of the ten winners in the growth categories were new entries. For the'Top 5 Airlines by Growth in Passenger Carriage'category,Air India Express,Cebu Pacific Air, Jetstar AirwaysandLion Airwere the new entries. New entries for'Top 5 Airlines by Growth in Cargo Carriage'wereAir India Express,Biman Bangladesh Airlines,Cebu Pacific AirandLion Air.These new winners demonstrate the competitive nature of the airline industry.

CAAS also presented a Special Appreciation Award, each to the Board of Airline Representatives in Singapore and the Airline Operators Committee Singapore, in recognition of their contributions to the airline community and close partnership with Changi Airport.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Lim paid tribute to Changi's airline partners for having helped Changi Airport with several major accomplishments in 2008. In particular, Minister Lim acknowledged the significant role which low cost carriers have played in Changi's growth, where they contributed 12.3% to Changi's total passenger throughput, or close to 20% in terms of the number of weekly flights, in 2008. This is in contrast to their contribution to Changi's total passenger throughput of 1.7% and 6% in terms of the number of weekly flights in 2004. The low cost carriers have also enhanced Changi's connectivity by serving unique city links to Bandung (Indonesia), Haikou (China) and Tiruchirapalli (India).

Minister Lim also urged airlines at Changi to forge stronger partnerships with one another. Airlines operating long-haul services can tap on Changi's excellent regional connectivity to carry their passengers beyond Singapore, to the rest of the region. Similarly, regional and low cost carriers are well positioned to capitalise on such traffic growth opportunities to expand their traffic reach via Singapore to the other parts of the world.

Minister Lim added,"By continuing to optimise the partnerships at Changi, you will be able to make the most of the opportunities available for your business and improve its resilience against the current uncertainties in the global economy."

As at 1 May 2009, Changi Airport is served by 84 scheduled airlines, connecting Singapore to 193 cities in 60 countries via more than 4,570 weekly scheduled flights.

Encl: List of winners at Changi Airline Awards 2009

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