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Australia has seen an all-time monthly high for international passenger traffic as the recovery from COVID-19 continues.
According to the latest BITRE data, 4.37 million international passengers travelled through Australian airports in January this year, 5.3 per cent higher than the previous monthly peak in January 2020.
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International passenger numbers jumped 14.5 per cent year on year to 41.9 million for the 12 months ending January 2025, though this was still 1.6 per cent below the same period ending January 2020.
Simon Westaway, chief executive of the Australian Airports Association (AAA), said the result is “testament to the strength of the aviation sector”.
“Sixty international airlines now operate passenger services in and out of Australia, a result of strategic efforts by airport members to increase competition and choice for Australian travellers,” he said.
“While we hit the international record in the month of January, the 12-month period preceding it was still just shy of pre-COVID levels.
“That’s why we need to continue working to make the Australian aviation market as appealing as possible, particularly through seamless travel improvements.”
According to Westaway, the travel market for the Asia-Pacific region has been accelerating “at a rapid pace”, with a 26 per cent rise in international traffic last year.
“Australian airports are competing with major global hubs such as Singapore Changi, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur International Airports to attract a share of this growing market.
“The AAA encourages the Federal Government to continue advancing and expanding bilateral air service agreements and open Australia’s skies to more competition.
“There are some economic headwinds for the global economy, but if we continue to support our aviation and tourism markets, we will see wider benefits for our local sector.”
The news comes on the heels of Australia’s strongest end-of-year peak for international travel in half a decade.
Australia saw 21,076 total international flights in December 2024, up 5 per cent year on year and 11.8 per cent month on month, while domestic flights declined 2 per cent year on year to 91,547, according to Airservices’ Australian Aviation Network Overview report for the month.
On average, Australia saw 3,633 flights per day in December, down 1 per cent year on year.
“Recent growth in the Australian aviation network has been driven by Jetstar’s trans-Tasman expansions and capacity increase from airlines from China, United States and Malaysia,” Airservices wrote.
“All international markets, with the exception of Europe, recorded strong growth recently. Comparing the December month in 2024 versus 2023, 16 direct international routes have been added, mainly to South-East Asia and China.
“This growth was offset by a contraction in domestic demand reflecting the cyclical trend in business travel and general aviation.”
