Another Australian airport has surpassed its pre-COVID-19 passenger numbers, with Adelaide setting a new record in the March quarter.
Adelaide Airport recorded 2,123,000 passengers in January to March 2024, a 9.6% increase on the same period last year, and an increase of approximately 2% compared to 2,081,000 passengers in the third quarter of financial year 2019.
The airport said in a statement that strong travel demand in the quarter was driven by increased domestic and international capacity.
“Domestic, we welcomed 1.9 million passengers through our airports, setting a new quarterly record. “Travel between Adelaide’s largest cities, Melbourne and Sydney, was very active (helped by the Taylor Swift effect), while leisure sector routes to Hobart, Gold Coast and Cairns also performed well,” the statement said.
“International traffic at nearly 250,000 passengers was significantly higher than in the March quarter of the previous year, which was impacted by COVID-19. Compared to the same quarter in FY19, overall international passenger traffic reached 90% of previous levels and international outbound travel hit a new high.
“Key drivers of international capacity were Singapore Airlines’ seasonal operating frequency during the peak season in January, Qatar Airways’ increase of 71 seats per flight to its B777 fleet in March, and Jetstar’s utilization of its 25% larger Airbus A321neo fleet. For service in Bali.”
Adelaide's return to pre-COVID-19 numbers follows Hobart Airport announcing this month that it had exceeded its Q3 FY19 passenger figures in the March quarter of this year. Perth recently recorded its best January on record, but these figures were driven by a boom in FIFO and regional travel.
Department for Transport data shows Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are still falling below pre-pandemic levels, but Melbourne set a new February record for international passenger numbers.
Last November, Adelaide Airport announced it would invest $1 billion in capital investment in upgrades over the next five years, including $500 million in major aviation infrastructure projects, with the goal of becoming a “destination in its own right”.
The airport, which recently completed a $200 million terminal expansion, will also resume scheduled daily Emirates service from October.