Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN) both showed their frailty last year – with international traffic sharply down at the Thai gateway, while Changi barely managed to increase its passenger numbers compared to previous years.

Istanbul Ataturk (IST), however, stormed into the top 10 with international traffic growth of +12.0% to 38.15m – and the world’s top duty free and travel retail hub, Seoul’s Incheon Airport (ICN), grew by +10.1% to reach 44.91m.

The global international ranking from ACI World, which TRBusiness has obtained, was finalised last month [superseding preliminary figures released in March] and shows that BKK saw a huge -10% fall to 37.18m passengers due, largely, to the ripple effect of political unrest in the Thai capital. As a result BKK, slipped down the list to 10^th place from 8^th in 2013.

SIN’s disappointing +1.0% growth to 53.29m passengers meant that it also dropped from 5^th to 6^th place, reversing the previous year’s climb up the international airport ranking.

CHANGI SLIPPAGE HAS CONTINUED INTO 2015

On balance, the outlook for Changi appears worse. BKK’s 2014 numbers reflected passenger concerns due to Thai politics – and have bounced back strongly with first half traffic in 2015 up by +22.8% to 22.47m.

At SIN, the traffic issue is more to do with its strategy and high charges relative to competitors and there has been no return to form.

For example, in the first half of 2015, Changi Airport has managed passenger growth of only +0.2% compared to the same period in 2014. It looks as though Changi Airport Group’s S$100m/$73.2m Growth and Assistance Incentive (GAIN) programme – rolled out last June for a year and aimed at lowering costs for airlines – has not worked.

Now SIN is engaged in a two-year, $15m partnership with Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to jointly promote inbound travel to the island state in more than 15 markets worldwide.

STRONGEST GAINERS

As mentioned above, ICN and IST were the fastest growers in 2014, and are now ranked 8^th and 9^th respectively. Hovering outside the top 10 with growth of +11.3% is Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport in 11^th place with international traffic of 35.4m. It rose from 16^th in 2013.

The UK’s London Gatwick (LGW) is also expanding fast with +8.9% growth in 2014 to 34.46m putting it in 12^th place, up from 13^th in 2013.

[For information about ACI’s 2014 World Airport Traffic Report or other ACI publications, please click here.]