SINGAPORE — Changi Airport handled a record 53.7 million passengers last year, with monthly passenger traffic crossing the five-million mark for the first time last month, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) announced yesterday.

Riding on strong travel demand within the Asia-Pacific region, the airport’s passenger traffic grew by 5 per cent from the previous year.

Traffic to South-east and North-east Asia rose 8.2 and 7 per cent respectively, making up close to 70 per cent of its total passenger traffic.

Despite such strong figures, the CAG said it expected more moderate growth in the year ahead.

Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of the CAG, said: “In the near term, traffic growth at Changi Airport is not expected to be as robust as what we had experienced in the recovery following the global financial crisis in 2008/09.”

The group will continue to work with existing and potential airline partners to explore opportunities for growth and invest in major infrastructure projects, such as Terminal 4 and Project Jewel, a lifestyle complex at Changi Airport that is in the works, said Mr Lee.

CAG Vice-President for Air Hub Strategy Jeffrey Ng predicted a 3 to 5 per cent growth in passenger traffic this year, adding that airports with more than 50 million passenger movements typically experience relatively moderate growth.

The CAG also announced yesterday last year’s addition of five new carriers and 10 new city links to the airport.

The newly-added cities include Addis Ababa in the African country of Ethiopia as well as seven cities in China, making Changi the most connected South-east Asian airport to China.