Asia First - Tue 12 Aug 2025
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Independent Singapore
2 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Singapore Airlines Group passenger numbers rose 9.7% to 3.54M in July 2025
Photo: Depositphotos/Wirestock SINGAPORE: Passenger numbers for the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group rose 9.7% in July 2025 compared to the same month last year, flying a total of 3.54 million travellers. Singapore Business Review reported that the Group's passenger load factor (PLF), which is the percentage of available seating capacity filled with passengers, reached 88.5%. This was 2.9 percentage points higher than a year ago. Passenger traffic, tracked in revenue passenger-kilometres, grew 6.2%, while capacity in available seat-kilometres expanded 2.8%. Singapore Airlines recorded a passenger load factor of 87.4%, while its budget arm, Scoot, filled 92.2% of seats. The Group's budget carrier also outpaced its parent airline in passenger growth, flying 1.23 million passengers in July, up 13.2% year-on-year, while Singapore Airlines grew 8.0% with 2.31 million passengers. Scoot's highest load factor was on its 'Rest of the World' routes, reaching 94.6%, while Singapore Airlines' strongest performance came from the Southwest Pacific region, where flights filled to 93.4%. Cargo loads increased 2.1%, but capacity grew slightly faster at 2.7%. As a result, the cargo load factor slipped by 0.3 percentage points to 57.1%. Europe recorded the steepest drop in cargo efficiency, falling 7.3 points compared to the same period last year. /TISG Read also: SIA and Garuda Indonesia deepen partnership with more flights, miles, and lounge access for travellers this August 2025 Featured image by Depositphotos () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore leaders congratulate Indonesia on its 80th Independence Day
SINGAPORE: Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan have written to their Indonesian counterparts to convey their congratulations as the country marks its 80th Independence Day on Sunday (Aug 17). In letters to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, provided to the media by Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they recognised the country's progress since its independence in 1945 and expressed hopes for continued cooperation between the two neighbours. They also thanked their Indonesian counterparts for attending Singapore's 60th National Day Parade (NDP) on Aug 9, noting that both countries are commemorating milestone anniversaries this year. President Tharman, writing to Mr Prabowo, said that Indonesia's 'transformation, progress and spirit of togetherness since independence in 1945 has been an inspiring story'. 'It has continued to achieve robust economic growth, uplifted its people, and is recognised as a respected voice in the global community,' Mr Tharman said. 'Your ideals of harmony and mutual respect are, indeed values shared by the people of Singapore.' Mr Tharman also highlighted the longstanding ties between Singapore and Indonesia, adding that Mr Prabowo's presence at Singapore's NDP 'reflects the close friendship and common heritage of our two nations'. Mr Wong, in his letter to Mr Prabowo, said Indonesia has established itself as a 'respected, trusted, and constructive player in ASEAN and on the international stage'. He added that under Mr Prabowo's leadership, Indonesia has 'made bold moves to uplift the lives of its people by strengthening food and energy security, developing human capital, and safeguarding the nation's economic interests'. Mr Wong, who is also Singapore's Finance Minister, also thanked Mr Prabowo for attending Singapore's NDP shortly after the latter's state visit and the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat in June. 'These were valuable occasions to reaffirm our shared strategic vision for the bilateral relationship and to chart the way forward for further collaboration in areas like trade and investment, defence, energy and food security,' Mr Wong said. Dr Balakrishnan, who conveyed Singapore's congratulations to Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono, described the country as a 'beacon of progress on the global stage'. He also said that 'good progress' was being made on bilateral initiatives discussed between Mr Prabowo and Mr Wong at the Leaders' Retreat. Dr Balakrishnan also expressed his appreciation for the strong cooperation with Mr Sugiono at ASEAN and other international forums, and extended an invitation to his counterpart to make an official visit to Singapore.
Independent Singapore
5 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
‘Is this a red flag?' — Man shocked after learning company he applied to expects employees to be ‘on standby even when on leave'
SINGAPORE: A man was stumped when he learned that one of the companies he applied to expects all their employees to 'be on standby even when on leave.' He shared his disbelief in a Reddit post on Friday (Aug 15), explaining that when the HR representative called to discuss the 'container operations role' he had applied for, he was told the role would require him to be on standby '24/7, 365 days a year, even while on medical, annual, or childcare leave.' The man said that after hearing about the unusual policy, he asked the HR representative, 'What is the point of being on leave if you are still expected to work when needed?' to which the HR reportedly responded, 'It's expected by the company, and that is how it is.' He then contrasted this with his current job at a small-to-medium enterprise (SME). 'I am currently in a similar position in an SME, which respects my leave, and my colleague will cover for me when I am on leave — which I then cover for him when he goes on leave,' he wrote. 'Yet this MNC, with thousands of employees globally, can't or does not wish to do so. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth that they think it is OK. It's just a basic expectation to have a work-free period during leave.' Though the man didn't mention the name of the company, he hinted that this is 'one of the largest shipping companies in the world.' Seeking advice from other forum members, he asked if this policy was indeed a 'red flag.' 'Shipping industry is like that.' Convinced he would have a rough time at the company, some users urged the man to reject the role. One said, 'Red flag. If they're one of the largest shipping container companies in the world, they should be able to sort it out without reaching to people on AL. They have thousands of employees, and the success of the business doesn't rest on one person.' Another added, 'Epic red flag, just reject.' Others, however, told the man that many companies in the shipping industry operate this way. One user shared, 'Shipping industry is like that. I don't do containers, but my shipping ops is also expected to take calls 24/7 unless they are big enough to have cover from another overseas office. Most of the time, no one will call you unless there is a major issue la. I take calls on leave all the time, even when I am travelling overseas.' Another commented, 'I heard shipping industry is like this, expected to be on standby 24hrs. But in return, they are paid very well. I have heard of 1-year bonuses. So if you're gonna take up such a job, make sure you are handsomely rewarded.' A few users also advised the man to 'gather more details about the role' before deciding to reject it. One wrote, 'You should ask more questions regarding it pertaining to your role, like what kind of standby are we talking about (need to answer call/ or need to be physically present). In the past few years, how often has it been necessary for someone in your same role. Ask for real-life examples of such cases, etc.' In other news, a 28-year-old local has confessed on social media that he is on the verge of giving up on his career in UI/UX design after more than a year of job hunting. Posting on Reddit's singaporefi forum on Wednesday (Aug 13), he explained that, aside from the fact that the industry feels 'completely saturated,' most companies seem to be hiring only for senior roles that demand years of experience—positions that, in his view, 'no one can realistically fulfil.' Read more: 'I'm exhausted': Local UI/UX designer on the brink of giving up after a year-long job hunt
