Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Data on Number of Flights In and Out of Changi Airport that were Delayed or Cancelled

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport

a. whether the Ministry has data on the number of flights in and out of Changi Airport that are delayed or cancelled in the last three years; and

b. whether such delays and cancellations are above pre-COVID-19 levels.

Reply by Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat:

1. Based on industry standards, an aircraft is delayed if it departs or arrives more than 15 minutes past its scheduled departure or arrival time. From 2021 to 2023, the proportion of commercial passenger flights delayed annually was 13.4%, 27.1% and 24.7% respectively, compared to 19.5% in 2019. The proportion of commercial passenger flights cancelled annually was 1.5%, 0.9% and 0.6% respectively, compared to 1.2% in 2019.

2. Flight delays and cancellations are primarily caused by delays in upstream connections, which cause downstream effects on connecting flights, as well as adverse weather conditions. These factors may differ from year to year. In 2020 and 2021, there was a decrease in delays likely due to a reduction in overall traffic during the pandemic, resulting in fewer upstream delays. With the subsequent recovery of the aviation sector, delays saw an uptick as global flight operations rebounded.