A Thursday in September was the busiest day in Australia for airline travel since before the pandemic, with Brisbane Airport recording it busiest day ever in that month.
Airservices Australia’s September Australian Aviation Network Overview showed Thursday, September 18, was the busiest day for airline passenger transport since 2019 with 2799 flights.
It also stated Brisbane Airport then set an all-time record on Friday, September 26, with 617 movements.
Brisbane Airport spokesperson Peter Doherty said a combined total of 82,779 passengers passed through the Domestic and International terminals on that day.
Mr Doherty said the unprecedented surge was driven not only by Brisbane Lions fans traveling to Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final and NRL fans arriving for the Broncos’ semi-final against the Panthers, but also by the kick-off of school holidays in New South Wales, bringing many visitors to Brisbane.
Airservices Australia’s monthly overview stated airlines across the country added capacity and deployed larger aircraft to meet peak demand, with international traffic also buoyed by outbound tourism to nearby destinations such as Bali and Kuala Lumpur, codeshare agreements connecting to global hubs, and inbound demand reflecting Australia’s position in high-value, long-haul travel segments.
