Singapore Changi Airport experienced its busiest month ever in December 2012 to cross the 50-million passenger movements mark for the first time in the airport’s 31-year history.

Passenger traffic for the year totalled 51.2 million, increasing by ten per cent over the whole of 2011.

Flight movements grew 7.6 per cent to 324,700 while cargo volumes declined 3.2 per cent to 1.81 million tonnes, suppressed by uncertainties in the global economy.

For December 2012, Changi Airport registered 4.92 million passenger movements, a growth of 8.6 per cent year-on-year.

Changi’s daily record was broken on December 22nd 2012, the Saturday before Christmas Day, with 180,400 passengers passing through during the 24 hours.

There were 29,000 landings and take-offs last month, 4.7 per cent more than a year ago.

The airport ended the year by handling 152,900 tonnes of airfreight in December, 8.2% less than a year before.

As at January 1st 2013, Changi Airport handles more than 6,500 weekly scheduled flights with 110 airlines connecting Singapore to 240 cities in 60 countries around the world.

Despite weak market conditions in the Eurozone, there was encouraging improvement in demand for travel to and from Europe.

In 2012, passenger traffic between Singapore and Europe grew 7.5 per cent.