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Brisbane has become the first of Australia’s big three airports to see its domestic passenger numbers surpass pre-pandemic levels.
In January, domestic travel was at 104 per cent compared to the same month in 2019, while international travel hit 109 per cent or 632,000 people.
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Across Australia, a combination of cost-of-living pressures and a reduction in business travel attributed to a rise in video calls has stagnated domestic travel.
The latest figures, for example, show Melbourne is still at 97 per cent of domestic travel, while Sydney is at 91.5 per cent.
Gert-Jan de Graaff, chief executive of Brisbane Airport, hailed the latest figures as a “line in the sand moment”.
“We are proud to have achieved this milestone, which has come about through a lot of hard work, close collaboration and strong partnerships,” he said.
“While we acknowledge this is a milestone worth celebrating, this will be the last time we ever talk publicly about 2019 numbers.
“We’re future-focused, looking at what more we can do to continually improve the global connectivity for the people of Queensland while at the same time investing in and improving the lifestyle of South East Queensland.”
Aside from domestic performance, its international terminal recorded its two busiest months over December and January.
In December, more than 631,700 passengers passed through the Brisbane International Terminal, beating the previous record of January 2020, when 620,000 passengers used the International Terminal.
That number increased to 638,800 passengers the following month.
Brisbane said the growth was driven by new routes, including American to Dallas-Fort Worth, Delta to Los Angeles and Jetstar to Bangkok. United, China Eastern, Singapore, Cathay and Qantas also increased capacity on existing routes.
Australian airports tend to release their passenger numbers publicly sporadically, while the latest BITRE data from the Department of Transport only goes up to November last year.
Nonetheless, Brisbane appears to be significantly ahead of Sydney and Melbourne in restoring its pre-pandemic domestic performance.
It’s a different story on the West Coast, though, with Perth consistently overtaking its 2019 performance in 2023, buoyed by FIFO flights and Qantas 787 routes to Europe.
Brisbane Airport’s breakthrough moment comes after it showed off renders of its renovated international terminal last year, designed to accelerate its international performance.
The works, which form part of the airport’s $5 billion transformation program, will see the most significant changes to the terminal in its 29 years of operation.
Security and passport control will be relocated from level three to a “light-filled atrium” on level four, while security screening equipment will be enhanced, self-service check-in and bag drop installed, baggage systems upgraded, and retail offerings expanded, including a doubling in size of the duty-free area.
“Our international terminal is Queensland’s gateway to the world. After three decades of service, it’s well and truly time for a transformation, ensuring it’s ready to welcome the world for years to come,” de Graaff said.
Construction will be phased to minimise disruption, with works expected to be completed by 2027.
