The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group passenger traffic and load factors remained robust across all route regions in December 2022. This includes East Asia, where the relaxation of travel restrictions in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan boosted the demand for air travel and supported a recovery in these markets.
Group passenger capacity was 6.9 percent higher in December 2022 compared to the prior month, reaching 80 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels during the month. SIA and Scoot carried a combined 2.7 million passengers in December 2022 (+11.7 percent month-on-month or a four-fold increase year-on-year). Consequently, the group carried 20.7 million passengers in 2022, up nine-fold from 2021.
The group passenger load factor (PLF) in December 2022 came in at 89.7 percent during the month (+3.8 percentage points month-on-month and +43.2 percentage points year-on-year). This is the highest monthly PLF in the SIA Group’s history. SIA and Scoot posted record monthly PLFs of 89.1 percent and 91.6 percent respectively.
Cargo operations registered a load factor of 54.3 percent, or 24.5 percentage points lower year-on-year. Loads (freight tonne-kilometres) declined by 18.9 percent year-on-year due to weaker cargo demand, while capacity (capacity tonne-kilometres) expanded by 17.7 percent as increased passenger services resulted in higher bellyhold capacity.
Scoot resumed flights to Zhengzhou in December 2022, while SIA restarted fortnightly passenger services from Singapore to Beijing on 30 December 2022. The group will continue to monitor the demand for air travel and adjust its capacity and services accordingly.
At the end of December 2022, the group’s passenger network covered 111 destinations in 36 countries and territories. SIA served 76 destinations, while Scoot served 57 destinations. The cargo network2 comprised 116 destinations in 38 countries and territories.