Changi Airport named ‘Best Airport in Asia’ for cargo for 28th straight year

SINGAPORE, 17 June 2014 – For the 28th consecutive year, Singapore Changi Airport has been named Best Airport in Asia at the prestigious Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA), held in Shanghai. 

Changi Airport Group’s (CAG) Assistant Vice President for Cargo and Logistics Development, Mr James Fong, said: “We are very honoured to be given the nod of approval once again by our cargo and logistics partners for providing them with an excellent air cargo operating environment at Changi Airport.  We appreciate the recognition we have received over the years and remain strongly committed to working closely with the cargo and logistics community to ensure Changi Airport remains a strong and high-quality airfreight hub.”

Introduced in 1987, AFSCA honours companies for demonstrating outstanding leadership as well as consistency in service quality, innovation, customer relationship management and reliability.  Organised annually by established freight and logistics publication Cargonews Asia, the results are determined through voting by its readers and authenticated by an independent auditor.

Support for the cargo sector
CAG has taken active steps to sustain the long-term growth of the air cargo sector.  In January 2014, CAG extended the cargo incentive scheme to March 2015, comprising a 50% landing fee rebate for all scheduled freighter flights and up to 20% rental rebates for cargo tenants leasing CAG cargo facilities at the Changi Airfreight Centre.  More recently, CAG announced the Growth and Assistance Incentive (GAIN) programme, providing a 50% parking rebate for all scheduled services from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015.

Notwithstanding the tough operating environment faced by the cargo industry in Asia, Changi Airport handled 598,000 tonnes of airfreight movements in the first four months this year, representing a 0.1% growth compared to the same period last year.  In the Asia-Pacific region, carriers are expected to face continuing challenges for the rest of the year, due to the bleak manufacturing outlook for China and slowing export activities in emerging Asian economies.

“While the outlook for the global airfreight sector remains uncertain, we are committed to our airline partners in providing support where needed.  We will work with them to explore new opportunities and respond to emerging industry trends so as to sustain growth over the long term for the airfreight sector,” Mr Fong said.