Q2 2026 Sees 17.2 Million Passengers at Changi Airport Despite Slight Decline in Passenger Traffic

In the second quarter of 2026, Singapore’s Changi Airport recorded 17.2 million passenger movements, representing a slight 1.5% decline compared to the same period in the previous year. Despite this, the airport saw a 0.4% increase in passenger traffic in the first half of the year.

Quarterly Performance Indicators

Within the quarter, there were 92,400 aircraft movements, including both landings and takeoffs, which marks a 1.3% decrease from the same period last year. The total aircraft movements for the first half of the year equaled 188,000, on par with the numbers from the previous year.

Traffic to and from Europe and the Southwest Pacific went up by 8.7% and 3.0% respectively due to airlines increasing their capacity on these routes to streamline their operations. However, the challenging business environment, characterized by high jet fuel costs and fuel supply constraints, led to reduced services, particularly on Southeast Asian routes, which saw a 5.0% decrease in traffic.

The top five passenger markets for Changi Airport in this quarter were China, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, and India. Despite the overall decline, Vietnam and China experienced robust growth, with year-on-year increases of 18.5% and 8.3% respectively. Japan also saw a steady growth of 7.0%.

In the second quarter, Changi Airport handled 567,000 tonnes of airfreight throughput, a 9.8% increase from the same period in the previous year. This strong performance was driven by growth in all cargo flows, particularly in AI-related semiconductor and electronics shipments. The top five air cargo markets were China, the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, and India.

Looking Forward

Mr. Lim Ching Kiat, Executive Vice President for Air Hub and Cargo Development at Changi Airport Group, noted that although airlines continue to adjust their services due to changing operating conditions, the sustained demand for travel is encouraging, particularly to and from Europe and Northeast Asia.

Changi Airport expanded its connectivity in the second quarter, with the introduction of new passenger and cargo services. China Eastern started services to Dalian in April, while Scoot added services to Belitung and Pontianak in Indonesia in May and June respectively. The airport also welcomed two new passenger airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Oman Air.

On the cargo front, Tianjin Air Cargo began operations between Singapore and Haikou in June, becoming Changi Airport’s newest cargo operator.