760,000 passengers passed through Queensland Airports Limited gates in January, a post-pandemic record across the group’s four airports.
January was also the fifth busiest on record for the group and Gold Coast Airport, which saw more than 622,000 passengers throughout the month.
Regional areas also saw strong demand during what is typically a quieter time of the year – Townsville and Mount Isa airports recorded their 3rd busiest Januarys on record, while Longreach Airport saw a 14 per cent jump in passengers compared to the same period last year.
QAL Chief Commercial Officer Adam Rowe said the strong result is testament to the state’s diverse tourism offerings.
“To see passenger growth across all four of our airports is a really positive sign for travel and the regions our airports support,” QAL chief commercial officer Adam Rowe said.
“Townsville Airport, while not as busy as it is in the winter months, did see positive growth with more than 15,200 additional passengers travelling to and from Brisbane – a 26 per cent increase on January 2024 .
“Gold Coast Airport recorded strong year-on-year growth on key markets – with 5 per cent more passengers travelling on the Melbourne route and 26 per cent growth on New Zealand services when compared with 2024.
“We were also really pleased to see the popularity of our seasonal Hong Kong services, with more than 3,000 passengers travelling on the seasonal route in the first 2 weeks alone.”
Rowe also noted the strong demand for travel as it continues to outstrip supply particularly on key markets such as Gold Coast to Sydney and Melbourne where close to 90 per cent of seats are filled
“We’re working closely with our airline partners to assess where we can build in additional capacity to support that demand,” he said.
Gold Coast Airport will welcome 3 new routes in the next four months – to Dunedin and Hamilton in New Zealand, and Darwin.
Feature image: LinkedIn – Queensland Airports Limited.
