SINGAPORE: China’s sluggish post-pandemic recovery contributed to a slower increase in passenger traffic at Southeast Asian airports compared to European and American competitors.
Aviation researchers made this observation following Singapore’s Changi Airport’s announcement last Wednesday (Jan 22) that it would handle 67.7 million passengers in 2024. This was 99.1% of 2019 levels before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Analysts credited Changi Airport’s rebound, but highlighted that many airports in the West have already seen passenger counts exceed pre-pandemic levels. According to the news website Aviation Week Intelligence Network, airport passenger volume in Europe exceeded pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2024.
The BBC also reported in July last year that London’s Heathrow Airport recorded 39.8 million journeys in the first half of 2024, compared to 38.8 million in the first half of 2019.
According to data site Statista, US airports were busier in 2024 than ever before, with daily passenger throughput continuously topping pre-pandemic levels in 2024, after roughly matching 2019 traffic in 2023. Airports in Bangkok and Malaysia have reported substantial recoveries, but passenger numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels.
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