As Australia's aviation industry braces itself for a demanding summer holiday season, Brisbane Airport (BNE) is the latest player to plead with customers to plan ahead. Australia's gateway to multiple tourist and holiday hotspots says around three million passengers will use the airport in coming months, with peak times exceeding pre-COVID levels.
Domestic action is heating up at BNE
Demand has surged for domestic and international travel for Australia's first restriction-free Christmas and New Year period since 2019. The airport says that on peak travel days, around 55,000 passengers will pass through the domestic terminal, most of those being Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia or Rex customers. For those who prefer to holiday at home, Queensland is a magnet for visitors from across Australia, particularly from the southern states of Victoria and New South Wales. Brisbane is also a major hub for domestic holiday traffic, with popular routes to Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Prosperine.
Brisbane Airport operates 24/7/365 from two main terminals, serving 34 airlines that fly to around 85 domestic and international destinations. It is Australia's third busiest airport, handling 23.8 million passengers in FY2019, and that will grow significantly over the next decade as Brisbane gears up to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games. Around 74% of its passengers are traveling domestically to 51 destinations, with the top five being Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Cairns (CNS), Townsville (TSV) and Perth (PER).
More international capacity is coming
Internationally, BNE connects to 34 destinations, with around 729 weekly flights carrying 6.2 million passengers annually. Major airlines include Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Qantas, United Airlines, China Airlines and Fiji Airways. More than 14,000 international passengers are expected on peak travel days, the highest number since 2019 but only around 60% of pre-COVID levels. Brisbane Airport spokesperson Stephen Beckett said more international services are returning in the coming weeks, including nonstop services from BNE to Japan and New Zealand.
"Flights to and from Canada, the US, New Zealand and Europe via Singapore and the Middle East are experiencing strong demand, which is terrific news for jobs and our tourism recovery, with approximately 75% of international visitors arriving in Queensland coming through Brisbane Airport."
At the end of October, United Airlines UA96 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) landed at BNE, becoming the first scheduled nonstop passenger service from mainland USA to Queensland. Before COVID struck, the US was Queensland's third-largest inbound travel market, with around 236,000 visitors annually. The new United Airlines Boeing 787-9 service will add about 40,000 seats and a projected AU$27 million ($17.3 million) to the state's visitor economy.
Australia's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), has launched a helpful app called "Can I Pack That?', which is available for both Apple and android devices. The app gives passengers information on what can or can't be carried or packed and in what quantities and is available on the CASA website. The airport points out that if you pack "toys or presents, some items like Nerf Guns and replica objects may look like weapons to security screeners, requiring removal and rescreening of bags, causing delays."
Having seen the chaos and frustration caused to passengers by crowded airports in Europe and the US earlier this year, it seems Australian airports have learned some communication lessons. Hopefully, things will go smoothly this summer by planning ahead and letting passengers know what they can do to help the process.
Do you think Australian airports will cope with pre-COVID numbers?