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Melbourne Airport has seen its best single day since COVID-19, as well as an all-time September record for international passengers.
The airport saw a total of 119,740 passengers on Grand Final Friday, 27 September, driven by traffic from interstate AFL fans for the match between the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions. 24-30 September was also Melbourne’s biggest week since the pandemic, with 759,291 travellers.
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A total of 2,999,287 passengers used the airport in the month of September 2024, up 3.3 per cent on the same month in 2023, though still down 3.8 per cent on 2019.
2,016,129 of these passengers were domestic, up just 0.4 per cent on last September; however, Melbourne also saw a new September international passenger record at 983,158, up 10 per cent year-on-year.
“The growth in international traveller numbers has been facilitated by new and increased flights, and while that’s fantastic, it has also placed pressure on some of our terminal infrastructure during peak times,” said airport CEO Lorie Argus.
“We are now in discussions with our airline partners about what an expansion of our international terminal footprint might look like, and the timeframes in which it could be delivered.
“When it opens in 2031, the third runway will deliver the airfield capacity we need to meet Victoria’s growth for decades to come.”
The month was also a record for Virgin Australia in Melbourne, with the airline carrying more passengers through its largest base at terminal 3 than any other month since it began operating to the city in May of 2001.
“Virgin Australia has made significant investments in Melbourne, and we are well underway to deliver terminal improvements that will support their continued growth,” said Argus.
“A new aerobridge at Gate 10 is scheduled to open in the coming weeks, and the expansion of the Virgin Australia baggage hall is also progressing well, with new escalators on track to open ahead of Christmas.”
While Virgin could not release its exact figures, a spokesperson said it is “consistently surpassing its pre-COVID domestic passenger numbers, achieving a new milestone in September with the highest number of passengers ever flown through Melbourne Airport”.
“This is a huge credit to our operational teams and crew, who work tirelessly to deliver an exceptional experience for our guests,” the spokesperson said.
“It also reflects our commitment to supporting the community, with our teams re-accommodating more than 130,000 Rex and Bonza customers with free-of-charge carriage, following disruptions faced by both airlines.”
