I defy anyone with more than 15 minutes to spare to resist the photo opportunity of visiting the stunning waterfall at the Jewel shopping and entertainment complex in Singapore.
Situated just metres away from the glorious mega-airport hub of Singapore Changi, the Rain Vortex is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, according to Wikipedia.
Not only is the waterfall a fantastic sight and sound: the sheer number of visitors wondering at this spectacular feature is a visual reminder that Asia-Pacific air travel is back.
I passed through Changi twice en route to the Routes Asia event in Langkawi, Malaysia in late February, as well as transiting other regional hubs such as Bangkok and Auckland.
My visual evidence, and more properly observations from the stage speakers and delegates at the record-breaking Routes event, demonstrate that the Asia-Pacific is ready to resume its mantle as the world’s fastest-growing region.
The Routes Asia report spans several pages in this issue (from page 32), with stories on airlines and airports from across the spectrum, including Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and India. And there are new airports on the way too, offering new capacity at constrained hubs such as Delhi and Sydney.
Our roving correspondent Mike Miller was reporting from another fascinating continent – Latin America (see page 12). Routes Americas took place in March in Bogotá and the market is reviving. Colombian air transport leaders were brimming with confidence after a record-breaking 2023 for travel and regular new flight announcements.