TRAFFIC
Source: Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons
The airspace closures across key Middle East hubs – stemming from the ongoing conflict in the region – have provided a significant boost to Singapore Airlines Group’s March passenger traffic.
The group, comprising mainline operator SIA and low-cost unit Scoot, carried 3.8 million passengers during the month, up 14.9% year on year, and the highest-ever monthly passenger volume.
Group traffic was up 14.7%, far outpacing capacity growth of 7.2% and bringing group passenger load factor to 90.6%.
SIA Group says the “robust” growth was attributed to an increase in “spillover” Europe-bound traffic, in the weeks following the war, which began around 28 February.
The Iran conflict has impacted operations at key Middle East hubs like Dubai and Doha. It has also forced carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways – traditionally strong players in the Asia-Europe market – to significantly reduce capacity.
SIA, along with other Asian operators such as Malaysia Airlines and Cathay Pacific, mounted extra flights to Europe in the wake of the conflict, amid a surge in travel demand.
As at end-March, SIA Group’s network covered 134 points, with SIA operating to 77 destinations and Scoot with 82 points.
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Author: Alfred Chua
Alfred Chua covers airlines and air transport topics in Asia-Pacific. He joined FlightGlobal in 2019 and is based in Singapore, where he previously worked as a news reporter at a local news outlet.