Impact on aviation sector will be worse than SARS outbreak, says Singapore minister

Businesses at Jewel Changi Airport told The Straits Times that the crowd at the complex has noticeably thinned with travel restrictions kicking in and the growing severity of the virus' spread. - ST FILE

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the aviation sector will be worse than that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, said Singapore's Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Thursday (Feb 6).

This is because China is now a much larger market and a much larger source of tourism for Singapore and the region, he said during a visit to Changi Airport.