KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia has been named the Top Airline by Absolute Passenger Growth (Southeast Asia) at Singapore’s Changi Airline Awards 2019 recently.

This is in recognition of its 4.1% increase in passengers carried to and from Singapore to 4.5 million pax recorded in 2018, up from 4.3 million pax the year before, the low-cost carrier said in a statement today.

It said AirAsia was also adjudged as having the third-highest airline passenger movements overall in 2018, together with Singapore Airlines Group, Jetstar, Cathay Pacific Airways and Lion Group.

AirAsia Singapore chief executive officer Logan Velaitham said together with Changi Airport Group (CAG), AirAsia has grown Singapore into its third-largest hub, with around 40 flights per day from cities in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

“As the largest foreign carrier operating into Singapore, we will continue to link new cities and give travellers here more options,“ AirAsia said.

In support of CAG’s growth plans, AirAsia launched its first international route from Ipoh to Singapore in 2018, it said.

The Changi Airline Awards, now in its 14th year, recognises airlines for their contributions to strengthening and growing Singapore as an aviation hub. — Bernama