Changi ranked the 4th busiest int’l airport, with 41.5 million seat capacity in 2024

SINGAPORE: When it comes to international seat capacity, Singapore’s Changi Airport ranked fourth in 2024. Official Airline Guide (OAG) Aviation said earlier this week that while the airport saw a 36.1 million seat capacity in 2023, last year saw a sizable 15 per cent jump, with its numbers reaching 41.5 million seat capacity.

This means that Changi Airport has gone up by one spot from its fifth-place ranking in 2023.

The pole position this year still went to Dubai International Airport, which showed a 7 per cent growth year on year with 60.2 million seats. It was followed by London Heathrow (48.4 million), and Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, which squeezed past Changi Airport with 41.6 million seats, and showed a hefty 24 per cent increase from the previous year.

Notably, unlike many airports on OAG’s rankings, Dubai International Airport has seen an impressive 12 per cent growth in comparison with its pre-pandemic numbers in 2019.

The airport that showed the biggest year-on-year growth in seat capacity is Hong Kong International Airport, which increased by 40 per cent and is ninth on the list with 34.6 million seats. Nevertheless, compared to its numbers before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, it is still 23 per cent below its performance in 2019.

OAG added in its report that in Southeast Asia, airports’ international seat capacity has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with the exception of Indonesia and Thailand, and continues to outpace domestic seat capacity. Among the top five countries, (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam), capacity grew the most in Malaysia (19 per cent) and the Philippines (24 per cent).

In January 2025, Singapore saw a 3 per cent recovery in comparison to its 2019 numbers. Moreover, four out of the top five international flight routes in Southeast Asia land in Singapore: including Kuala Lumpur to Singapore (1st; 471,360 seats), Jakarta to Singapore (2nd; 407,070 seats), Bangkok to Singapore (3rd; 331,332 seats), and Bali to Singapore (5th; 283,532 seats.

“Singapore continues to be a key international hub in South East Asia with 6 of the Top 10 international routes in the region starting or ending there,” noted OAG.

When both domestic and international seat capacity is taken into consideration, the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with its 62.7 million seat capacity, overtook Dubai’s International Airport.

This should come as no surprise, as the Atlanta airport ranked number one in 2019 and 2023, and while its 2024 numbers grew 2 per cent year on year, it’s still lower by 1 per cent from its 2019 levels.

Taking third place this year is Tokyo Haneda Airport with 55.2 million seats, showing a capacity increase of 5 per cent year on year. /TISG

Read also: Singapore’s Changi Airport named world’s best airport again in 2024