Singapore has a well-connected network of transport systems both within the Republic and the rest of the world.
Sea Transportation.
Throughout Singapore modern history, her seaports played an important role in her economy. In the early days after Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore, the island was quickly transformed from a quiet fishing village into a busy entrepot. Her strategic location and free port policy helped to attract many ocean liners calling on her shore. After her independence from the British Empire, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) was formed to handle all sea transport matters. Today, she is the world's busiest port for cargo handling. It is a breeze for both passenger and cargo moving in and out of the country-state via the sea route as she has shipping lines connecting them to their various destinations. However, in recent years, Singapore is facing increasing competition from the region for her shipping business. It is an urgent task for PSA to find a niche to maintain/develop her port trade. In future, Singapore might face the probable threat of the construction of a canal at Thailand's Isthmus of Kra to cut traveling time of seafaring ships between Europe and India sub-continent and North Asia.
Air Transportation.
Singapore air transport had been on a steady increase since the early 1970's. In her short aviation history, she had relocated her international airport three times (Kallang to Paya Lebar and now at Changi). Changi International Airport boasts of two passenger terminals with the third under construction. Presently, there are almost one hundred carriers operating in and out of Changi. For more than a decade, Changi has been voted the best airport in the world by air travelers. We hope and try to be the air hub of Asia. But this is not going to be easy especially after the September eleven event and the recent Sars outbreak. Air security and people cutback on air travel pose problems to our goal in the short-term.
