Singapore Airlines - statistics & facts
Founded in 1972 after the split of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA), Singapore Airlines (SIA) is the flag carrier of Singapore. It is headquartered at Airline House in Changi and operates from its hub at Singapore’s Changi Airport. Singapore Airlines Limited was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) in 1985, and its total assets now amount to 49.1 billion Singapore dollars. The company has built on its reputation for service excellence and is among the world’s most valuable airlines. The company’s fleet consists of 133 aircraft, in addition to that of its low-cost carrier, Scoot. This enables the Group to serve more than 130 destinations in Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, and North America.
While some airlines have declared bankruptcy, the Group has been strongly supported by its stakeholders, particularly Temasek Holdings, the state-owned investment firm. SIA has also benefited from the country's response to the pandemic, as Singapore was one of the first countries in the region to reopen its borders. This has allowed the airline to experience a recovery in its activities and even a recent expansion of codeshare agreements such as with Malaysia Airlines or Garuda. These partnerships are expected to bring more passengers on long-haul flights to Europe, strengthening its role as the leading carrier in Southeast Asia and helping to consolidate Changi Airport's position as the region's main air travel hub.
Certified as a five-star airline by Skytrax, Singapore Airlines competes with airlines of the same standing, such as Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways. The airline is particularly dominant in the business travel sector. Its service excellence is based on a cost-effective infrastructure model supported by a very young fleet, allowing for lower maintenance costs and fuel consumption.
Air traffic recovery post-COVID-19
As with most international passenger airlines, Singapore Airlines’ performance was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis resulted in a reduction of nearly 75 percent of its total revenue in 2020/2021, a fall that was somewhat mitigated by its cargo segment. As travel restrictions were lifted, passenger traffic has slightly recovered, reaching approximately 113 billion revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) in 2022/2023. Even so, this is still slightly lower compared to pre-pandemic years. The group's revenue rebounded to 17.76 billion Singapore dollars in fiscal year 2022/2023, above pre-pandemic levels, with the number of passengers reaching around 26.5 million over the same period. Driven by this growth, Singapore Airlines recorded operating profits of around 2.69 billion Singapore dollars in 2022/2023.While some airlines have declared bankruptcy, the Group has been strongly supported by its stakeholders, particularly Temasek Holdings, the state-owned investment firm. SIA has also benefited from the country's response to the pandemic, as Singapore was one of the first countries in the region to reopen its borders. This has allowed the airline to experience a recovery in its activities and even a recent expansion of codeshare agreements such as with Malaysia Airlines or Garuda. These partnerships are expected to bring more passengers on long-haul flights to Europe, strengthening its role as the leading carrier in Southeast Asia and helping to consolidate Changi Airport's position as the region's main air travel hub.
SIA’s competitors
As Singapore Airlines has no domestic routes to serve, its competitors are regional and international. Scoot operates mainly at the regional level in the low-cost segment. Its budget was strengthened, and the network extended to 71 destinations, with the reopening of pre-pandemic routes in Europe and India, and the launch of new flights such as from Singapore to Jeju International Airport (CJU) in South Korea.Certified as a five-star airline by Skytrax, Singapore Airlines competes with airlines of the same standing, such as Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways. The airline is particularly dominant in the business travel sector. Its service excellence is based on a cost-effective infrastructure model supported by a very young fleet, allowing for lower maintenance costs and fuel consumption.
