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SINGAPORE Ihas a significant amount of world trade that passes
t is the smallest country in Southeast Asia but ranks
top in per capita GDP. It is one of the few countries
in the world with almost no natural resources but
SOUTHEAST through. It is not only home to one of the busiest sea-

ports in the world but also an airport ranked amongst
the top 10 cargo airports in the world. Singapore is
Southeast Asia’s cargo gem. Singapore even topped
ASIA’S the World Bank’s 2023 Logistics Performance Index

(LPI) on trade logistics performance.
In March 2022, DHL Express and Singapore Airlines
(SIA) signed a crew and maintenance agreement to
deploy five Boeing 777 freighters under which SIA
operates new cargo routes between South Asia,
North Asia and North America, based at Changi Air-
port in Singapore. This is one of the latest examples
CARGO GEM of how the world and world’s best cargo movers
Positioned at the heart of the dynamic and vibrant region leverage the position of Singapore as the global
cargo hub to move their goods.
of Southeast Asia, Singapore is not only the freight hub But why? With a suitable geographic position, Sin-
for Asia but for the world. But that's not the end of this gapore’s Changi Airport offers robust air connectivity
story. Its focus on infrastructure and partnerships is to different parts of the world. It also offers strong
preparing it to be the air freight hub of the future as well. infrastructure and service quality with its air cargo
partners. In 2022, Changi Airport was ranked 10th
Libin Chacko Kurian globally based on international cargo traffic and was
the busiest air cargo hub in Southeast Asia. Accord-
ing to the latest operational figures, Changi Airport
registered an airfreight throughput of 1.3 million
tonnes for the first nine months of 2023.
The quarterly operations data reads, “From July
to September 2023, airfreight throughput totalled
451,000 tonnes, a decline of 4 percent compared to
the same period last year. The softening
in air cargo demand has gradually eased
during the quarter, led by improvements

PHOTO: SATS Ltd

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