Singapore Airlines group flew 9.6m people in strong first quarter

Singapore Airlines reported robust passenger and air cargo demand in June that closed out a strong first quarter. The number of passengers carried by SIA and its low-cost unit Scoot in the three months through June 30 hit 9.6m, up 13.8% from the same period in 2023 and broadly in line with the fourth quarter ended March 31. However Singapore’s flag carrier remained just shy of surpassing its pre-Covid-19 monthly traffic levels – benchmarked to January 2020 – carrying 3.19m customers in June, according to SIA’s latest operating results on July 15. Passenger traffic for January 2020 was 3.38m. The rising demand was attributed to mid-year school holidays in Singapore and the northern hemisphere’s summer travel season. Air cargo loads rose on robust e-commerce and some spillover from port congestion and disruptions to sea freight. SIA’s continued rebound after the pandemic comes as the South-east Asian nation more broadly picks up speed. The country’s economic growth accelerated in the second quarter, putting it on track to expand between 1% and 3% in 2024. A slew of high-profile events in 2024, including pop star Taylor Swift’s only South-east Asia concerts, has spurred an influx of overseas visitors and traffic at Changi Airport got back to full strength in February.<br/>