Two years on from the opening of borders, Perth Airport’s international passenger numbers have returned to pre-COVID levels.
Perth Airport’s chief commercial and aviation officer, Kate Holsgrove said that in February 2024, 350,387 international passengers travelled through Perth Airport – 12 per cent more than the number of passengers who travelled in February 2020 – a month before Covid travel restrictions came into play and eight per cent more than February 2019.
“Following the dramatic impact that the pandemic had on aviation, it’s fantastic to see that we have fully recovered and are now experiencing growth in international aviation,” Holsgrove, said.
“We’ve worked closely with the State Government over the past two years to attract airlines to Western Australia and this milestone highlights the importance of the ‘Team Perth’ approach to aviation development.
“The recovery shows that international airlines have full confidence in the Western Australian market.
“And with our research showing that one daily international direct flight has the potential to deliver an additional $70 million to the State’s economy and create more than 600 new jobs, it’s why we get so excited when our airline partners commit more capacity and routes into the Perth market.
“More international connections mean more competition which is great for both travellers and the tourism industry.
“Growing international aviation is a massive coup for Western Australia as a tourism destination.
“International visitors inject $2.2 billion into the WA economy on visitor spend alone – which helps our hotels, attractions and tour operators around the State.
“Perth Airport is committed to continuing to grow and enhance our capacity so that our airline partners can also grow. Further investments to achieve this include expanding the international terminal, new domestic terminal facilities, a new runway, and multistorey car parks.
“These initiatives have all been a part of Perth Airport’s Master Plan to consolidate operations into the Airport Central precinct,” Holsgrove concluded.
