Record year for Changi Airport in 2024 amid casino-driven tourism boom
Singapore’s Changi Airport recorded an all-time high of 68.4 million passenger movements in 2024, up nine percent year-on-year, with experts pointing to the island’s booming casino industry as a key driver of this surge in international arrivals.
Figures released by Changi Airport Group (CAG) on 22 May 2025 show aircraft movements rose eight percent to 371,000 flights, coinciding with a near doubling of CAG’s net profit to SG$ 841 million (around €580 million). The increase was largely credited to rebounding global travel demand and robust tourism activity.
However, industry analysts suggest that Singapore’s two integrated resorts—Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS)—played an equally significant role in driving footfall to the city-state.
Marina Bay, Resorts World lead push
Marina Bay Sands posted a record-breaking year, with mass gaming revenues rising by nearly twenty-eight percent in the final quarter to a new high of $746 million (approximately €690 million). The resort also saw over 38 million visitors in 2024 alone, pushing its cumulative visitor count since opening in 2010 past the 500 million mark.
The momentum has encouraged MBS operator Las Vegas Sands to commit $8 billion (about €7.4 billion) towards an ambitious expansion, including a fourth hotel tower and a 15,000-seat arena. This investment reflects growing confidence in sustained demand from tourists and gamblers alike.
Meanwhile, Resorts World Sentosa reported a five percent increase in full-year revenue to SG$ 2.53 billion (about €1.74 billion), although adjusted EBITDA declined by six percent. Challenges such as lower VIP volumes and regulatory scrutiny, highlighted by a shortened two-year casino licence renewal, have dampened its outlook somewhat. Still, its SG$ 6.8 billion expansion, RWS 2.0, remains on track, with major new attractions due to open in 2025.
Improved airports fuel influx
CAG spent close to SG$ 1 billion (€690 million) in 2024 on infrastructure upgrades and on advancing the Changi East project. With the construction of Terminal 5 now underway, the airport is preparing for further growth.
CAG’s CEO, Yam Kum Weng, noted: “Singapore’s Changi Airport benefited from broad-based traffic growth, including the launch of services by new airlines and the addition of new city links.” He added that strategic investments in infrastructure and strong collaboration with aviation partners are vital to sustaining momentum.
While macroeconomic uncertainties and trade tensions pose risks to the aviation sector, Singapore’s casino industry appears to be providing a steady stream of high-value tourists. The close correlation between gaming revenue and airport traffic suggests that the integrated resort model remains a cornerstone of the city-state’s tourism strategy.
