iscover
Perth Airport has maintained its status as Australia’s most successful airport post-COVID after it recorded an all-time high for passenger numbers last year.
The airport said 16.9 million passengers passed through its terminals in 2024, 1.6 million more than in 2023.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
It comes with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane still unable to pass most pre-COVID metrics, largely due to stagnating domestic numbers caused by a reduction in business travel alongside cost-of-living pressures.
Perth, though, has the advantage of significant FIFO flights to regional WA as well as Qantas using the airport as a hub for direct flights to Europe with its 787-9s.
In total, 56 per cent of Perth’s annual increase in traffic came from additional international passengers, which grew 23 per cent year-on-year.
Regional also performed strongly, growing by almost 7 per cent in 2024, with interstate travel also growing by 6 per cent.
“We believe there is great potential for further growth in passenger numbers as we move towards a potential 20 million passengers a year by 2030,” said the airport’s chief executive, Jason Waters.
“International travel has enormous potential with Perth Airport and Tourism WA about to host almost 1,000 national and international aviation decision-makers for the Routes Asia conference in March.
It comes after the airport in November unveiled a new vision for its $5 billion works program, which would bring all flights into the Airport Central precinct.
The fly-through animation shows the airport’s new parallel runway and terminal facilities, as well as other features including its first multi-storey carparks and airport hotel, to be built over the next 10 years in what is being dubbed the “one airport” program.
“We know that one of the things that confuse the public the most is which terminal or which part of the airport they should be heading to,” said Waters.
“Bringing everything into one precinct will create ‘one airport’ for all flights. This will make the whole experience more intuitive and simpler.
Construction works will be phased to minimise disruption, with Waters acknowledging there will be “some pain along the way” as the airport would remain open during the process.
“Construction has commenced on the multi-storey carpark, and works are underway at Terminal 2 to add more departure gates and seating. We will also add more car parks and make changes to the road network around T2 to improve traffic flow along the forecourt,” he said.
“We’ve partnered with Australia’s largest hotel operator, Accor, to operate the first hotel on the airport estate under the Pullman Hotels & Resorts brand.
“Design discussions with our airline partners are underway on the expanded international terminal and the new domestic terminal, and detailed design on the runway has been completed with construction works due to begin in the New Year.”
The airport last month reported a $125.4 million net profit after tax for the 2023–24 financial year, with revenue up across the board.
