The Business Times
business-time-50
BRUNCH

Fasten your seatbelts: Turbulence ahead for budget carriers in Changi Airport

Amid rising costs and fierce competition, low-cost airlines must navigate a turbulent path to stay profitable while keeping fares low

Summarise
google-preferred-sourceAdd BT as a preferred source
Tay Peck Gek

Tay Peck Gek

Published Fri, Jul 18, 2025 · 02:00 PM
    • Among the low-cost airlines that have flown into the history books are Valuair and Tigerair, with Jetstar Asia soon to join them.
    • Among the low-cost airlines that have flown into the history books are Valuair and Tigerair, with Jetstar Asia soon to join them. PHOTO: BT FILE

    [SINGAPORE] Even as Jetstar Asia braces for its final day of operations on Jul 31, the skies surrounding Changi Airport are set to remain busy.

    Come that day, 31 planes will take off from the runways of Changi Airport, traversing a sliver of the Java Sea before landing in Jakarta, Indonesia, just under two hours later. Twelve of those flights on this popular route will be operated by budget carriers, checks by The Business Times found.

    But amid an increasingly challenging landscape fraught with rising competition and costs, the future for these low-cost airlines – which make up about one-fifth of the carriers operating in Changi Airport – could well be in jeopardy. 

    BrunchChangi AirportAirlinesTravelAviation

    TRENDING NOW

    Galven Tan has resigned to pursue new opportunities, says Knight Frank Singapore. 

    Knight Frank Singapore CEO Galven Tan resigns after 2.5 years at helm

    National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat says: “The best way is for the government to shape behaviours with the judicious use of market-based incentives, where possible.”

    ABSD deadline extended to up to 7 years for developers of large en bloc sites to encourage reuse of land

    National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat noted that the public housing market has seen a moderation in resale flat prices over the past few quarters, following multiple rounds of cooling measures as resale prices surged.

    15-month wait-out curb lifted for private property owners buying HDB resale flats

    The income upgrade has rendered the Philippines “too wealthy” to qualify for the concessional foreign aid and development loans.

    Philippines’ income upgrade hides grim reality for most Filipinos

    Latest T-bills Treasury Bills Results & Interest NewsLatest SSB Singapore Savings Bonds NewsLatest COE Certificate of Entitlement News
    Latest Johor-Singapore SEZ NewsLatest BTO Build To Order & Sales of Balance NewsLatest STI Straits Times Index NewsLatest SGX Dividends, Share Price NewsLatest Bonds Market NewsLatest Singapore Stocks To Buy NewsLatest Singapore Economy News
    View More