Singapore Airlines sees boost in May pax numbers

In May 2026, the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group’s passenger traffic rose 4.9% year-on-year while passenger capacity increased by 5.3%. The Group’s passenger load factor (PLF) came in at 86.0%, 0.4 percentage points lower than a year ago. SIA and Scoot posted monthly PLFs of 84.6% and 91.2% respectively. The two airlines carried a combined total of 3.6 million passengers, 5.2% higher year-on-year. Cargo loads rose 3.2% year-on-year, outpacing the capacity expansion of 1.5%. As a result, the cargo load factor increased by 0.9 percentage points to 58.1%. While capacity constraints through Middle East hubs persisted, they eased compared to previous months. Consequently, the SIA Group continued to benefit from spillover passenger traffic and cargo loads, albeit to a lesser extent. During the month, Scoot launched passenger services to Belitung in Indonesia. As of 31 May 2026, the Group’s passenger network1 covered 135 destinations in 35 countries and territories. SIA served 77 destinations, while Scoot served 83 destinations. The cargo network1 comprised 138 destinations in 36 countries and territories. New director named Singapore Airlines has appointed Adrian Chan Pengee to its Board as an independent Non-Executive Director, with effect from 15 June 2026. Chan is a Senior Partner and Head of Corporate at Lee & Lee LLP. An experienced and highly regarded corporate lawyer in Singapore, he has spent more than 36 years with the firm, one of Singapore’s most respected law practices. His practice spans mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance advisory, capital markets, SGX listing, and regulatory matters. He has advised on complex cross-border transactions, including high-profile privatisations and landmark boardroom disputes. Chan also co-authored Singapore’s first Annotated Code of Corporate Governance, and was appointed to the Corporate Governance and Directors’ Duties Working Group of the Ministry of Finance’s Steering Committee to review and rewrite the Companies Act. Beyond his legal practice, Chan holds several leadership and board appointments. He is an independent director of various SGX-listed companies and a non-executive chairman of a few of them. He is the Vice Chairman of Singapore Institute of Directors, and is a member of the Legal Service Commission and of Singapore Management University’s Enterprise Board. Previously, Chan was also a Council Member at The Law Society of Singapore, and a board member of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Chan was awarded the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) in 2022 for significant contributions to public service. Chan will join the Board Nominating Committee and Board Safety and Risk Committee. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]