The Routes Asia 2025 Awards will recognize outstanding achievements in airport and destination marketing, with 15 airports, four destinations and four airlines reaching the finals this year.
Six awards are available, including three focused on airport excellence in route development marketing. These airport awards, categorized by passenger volume—Under 5 Million, 5-20 Million and Over 20 Million—honor airports for their exceptional marketing support to airline partners.
The Destination Award honors destinations for their vital support to airline partners, while the Airline Award highlights the importance of partnerships in developing successful and profitable routes. An Overall Winner will be selected from among the category winners.
The Airport and Destination categories have been reviewed and scored by a panel of airline judges, while the Airline category has been reviewed and scored by a panel of editorial judges.
Today we profile the finalists from the three airport categories, with the finalists for the Destination and Airline categories featuring tomorrow. The winners will be announced during the Routes Asia 2025 Networking Evening on March 26 in Perth, Australia.
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UNDER 5 MILLION PASSENGERS
Alice Springs Airport, Australia
Alice Springs Airport (ASP) has solidified its role as a key aviation hub in Australia’s Northern Territory through strategic route development, airline partnerships and innovative marketing. In recent years, ASP has welcomed new routes, including Airnorth’s services from Cairns and Perth, boosting domestic connectivity and regional tourism. The airport supports airlines with aeronautical charge rebates and targeted marketing to drive sustainable growth. Strong collaboration with the Northern Territory government and tourism bodies has been instrumental in securing new air services, further strengthening ASP’s position in the region.
Cairns Airport, Australia
Cairns Airport (CNS), located in one of Australia’s most aviation-dependent regions, has adopted a market-specific, geographic approach to route development. In 2024, CNS secured key new international services, including China Eastern’s Lunar New Year flights, AirAsia Indonesia’s market entry, Fiji Airways’ direct Nadi route and the return of Cathay Pacific. Domestic connectivity also expanded with Jetstar’s new Christchurch and Sunshine Coast services. Working closely with tourism and government stakeholders, CNS supports airlines through tailored incentive packages, freight forums and targeted marketing to drive route success.
Clark International Airport, Philippines
Clark International Airport (CRK) saw a 20% rise in passenger traffic in 2024, reaching 2.4 million travelers, with flight operations up 29%. New international routes include Royal Air Philippines’ Muan service, Jetstar’s Singapore flights and Jeju Air’s Busan connections. CRK’s airline incentive programs, including the Hub Operation Package, have attracted new carriers and enhanced route sustainability. Cebu Pacific’s transfer of all turboprop operations to CRK in 2025 will further drive growth. Future developments include an airport city and the Airport Railway Express, cutting Manila travel time to under an hour.
Krabi International Airport, Thailand
Krabi International Airport (KBV) experienced strong recovery in 2024, welcoming 2.5 million passengers—a 12.1% increase from the previous year. International traffic surged by 21.6%, driven by the addition of four new airlines, including Jetstar, Batik Air and IndiGo. Route expansions included increased frequencies on key domestic and international services, with Singapore-Krabi flights rising by 142.9%. KBV has actively engaged with airlines through strategic partnerships and marketing initiatives such as The Air-mazing Thailand FAM Trip, meetings with IndiGo and flydubai, and inaugural flight events.
Phnom Penh International Airport, Cambodia
Notable successes for Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) include Air Cambodia’s direct flight to New Delhi, Etihad Airways’ expansion into Phnom Penh and Emirates’ return via Singapore, enhancing global connectivity. PNH’s proactive airline engagement strategy includes tailored incentive programs, data-driven market analysis and collaborative marketing efforts with government and tourism partners to support route development. The airport’s commitment to operational excellence has earned it prestigious industry recognition, including IATA’s ISAGO certification and Shenzhen Airlines’ ‘Safety Gold Medal.’
5-20 MILLION PASSENGERS
Adelaide Airport, Australia
Adelaide Airport (ADL) achieved record passenger traffic in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels with more than 8.5 million travelers—a 10% year-over-year increase. Route successes included the return of Emirates’ daily flights, China Southern Airlines’ relaunch and Jetstar’s new Whitsunday Coast service. QantasLink also upgauged to DHC Dash 8-400 aircraft, strengthening regional connectivity. Strategic airline engagement has driven capacity expansions from Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Air New Zealand. As part of its Network Vision 2050, ADL aims to connect to 39 global destinations through stakeholder collaboration, increased destination awareness and demand stimulation.
Cam Ranh International Airport, Vietnam
Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR) continues to strengthen its position as a key gateway to Vietnam, recording 7 million passengers in 2024. The airport has prioritized transitioning from charter to scheduled services, expanding connectivity to key markets in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. In 2024, international passenger traffic rose by 46% compared with the previous 12 months. CXR has supported airlines with flexible slot allocations, fee reductions and strategic partnerships to drive growth. Recent route expansions include connections to Seoul, Busan, Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
Macau International Airport, China
Macau International Airport (MFM) has strengthened its position as a key aviation hub in the Greater Bay Area, handling 7.64 million passengers in 2024—a 48% year-over-year increase. Flight movements also surged by 41%, supported by 32 international airlines operating more than 1,200 weekly flights to 45 destinations. New routes secured in 2024 include Air Macau’s Guiyang service and Korean Air’s Seoul Incheon flights. With a land reclamation project set to increase capacity to 13 million passengers by 2030, MFM continues to drive aviation and tourism growth in Macau.
Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Philippines
Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB) continues its strong post-pandemic recovery, handling 11.3 million passengers in 2024, a 13% increase from the previous year and reaching 89% of 2019 levels. Seat capacity grew 11%, while air traffic movements rose 10%. Key developments included the launch of United Airlines’ Tokyo Narita-Cebu service, Aero K’s charter flights from Cheong-Ju and Sunlight Air’s new domestic routes. Cebu Pacific introduced flights to Bangkok Don Mueang, Osaka Kansai, San Vicente and Masbate, while Philippine Airlines resumed its Osaka service. The airport now has 21 carriers serving 41 destinations, representing 87% of its pre-pandemic network.
Penang International Airport, Malaysia
Penang International Airport (PEN) achieved 7.7 million passengers in 2024, a 13% increase from the previous year, driven by route expansions and new airline partnerships. The airport welcomed seven new carriers, including flydubai, Juneyao Airlines, HK Express, Loong Air, Shanghai Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and Thai Lion Air, bringing the total to 22 airlines. Eight new routes were also added to destinations including Dubai and Chennai. PEN’s Airline X-celeration Program and Network Development Program provided tailored incentives, landing fee rebates and marketing support to attract and sustain airline operations.
OVER 20 MILLION PASSENGERS
Brisbane Airport, Australia
Brisbane Airport (BNE) has surpassed pre-pandemic passenger numbers, reaching 104% of 2019 levels as of January 2025. Through the $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund (AAIF), the airport has secured 22 new routes, including five in the past year. BNE introduced Runway Cam, a live-streamed inaugural flight experience used for Delta Air Lines’ Brisbane-Los Angeles launch, generating high online engagement, becoming the world’s most-tracked flight on FlightRadar24 and receiving significant media coverage. The airport continues to support airlines through tailored marketing initiatives and partnerships. Notable successes include American Airlines’ new service from Dallas-Fort Worth.
Changi Airport, Singapore
Changi Airport (SIN) recorded 67.7 million passenger movements in 2024, a 15% year-on-year increase, while airfreight throughput grew 15%. The airport welcomed 10 new airlines, including Air Canada, Air Japan and Peach, and secured 20 new routes to destinations such as Brussels, London Gatwick and Vancouver. SIN actively supports airlines through targeted marketing campaigns, route development initiatives and industry collaborations. Airline marketing partnerships, such as digital promotions with Air New Zealand and Batik Air Malaysia, generated millions of impressions and boosted ticket sales.
Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) handled 53.1 million passengers in 2024, a 34.3% increase from the previous year, with flight movements rising by 31.6% to 363,305. The airport expanded its network to 198 destinations, supported by 136 airlines, including new services from Air Premia (Seoul Incheon) and Cathay Pacific (Dallas-Fort Worth) that are set to launch in the coming weeks. The airport’s Air Network Development Program, which provides marketing support to airlines, funded 20 projects across 14 airlines in 2024. In November, HKG’s new three-runway system came into operation, increasing the hub’s capacity by about 30%.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) recorded 57.1 million passengers in 2024, a 20.9% increase from the previous year, with commercial aircraft movements rising 14.4%. The airport expanded its network with 11 new airlines, including Air India, Air Macau, Loong Air and Turkmenistan Airlines, bringing the total to 62 carriers. Additionally, 60 new international routes were launched, connecting KUL to destinations such as Nairobi, Baghdad and Ashgabat. The airport supported airline growth through Airline X-celeration Program and Network Development Program, offering incentives, landing fee rebates and marketing support.
Melbourne Airport, Australia
Melbourne Airport (MEL) welcomed 35.7 million passengers in 2024, a 7% increase from the previous year, with international traffic up 15%. The airport expanded its network with three new international airlines—Turkish Airlines, Asiana and Juneyao Air—and added six new international routes, including Mumbai, Istanbul and Nanjing. Delta Air Lines has also confirmed a new Los Angeles-Melbourne service, set to launch in December. MEL’s strategic marketing initiatives and airline partnerships contributed to its growth, including a collaboration with Cebu Pacific, which led to increased frequencies from the Philippine LCC.
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