Brisbane Airport is preparing for COVID-19 demand this summer

How Australia the aviation industry is gearing up for the busy summer holiday season, Brisbane Airport (BNE) is the latest player to encourage customers to plan ahead. Australia’s gateway to many tourist and holiday hotspots says around three million passengers will use the airport in the coming months, with peak times exceeding pre-Covid levels.

Internal action at BNE is heating up

Demand has grown internal and international travel over Christmas and New Year in Australia, the first unlimited from 2019. The airport reports that on peak travel days, approximately 55,000 passengers will pass through the domestic terminal, most of whom QantasJetstar, Virgin Australia or Rex customers. For those who prefer to stay at home, Queensland is a magnet for visitors from all over Australia, particularly from the southern states of Victoria and New South Wales. Brisbane is also a major hub for inland holiday flows with popular routes CairnsTownsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Prosperine.

Brisbane Airport operates 24/7/365 from two main terminals, serving 34 airlines flying to approximately 85 domestic and international destinations. It is Australia’s third busiest airport, handling 23.8 million passengers in the 2019 financial year, and this figure is set to grow significantly over the next decade as Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Summer Olympics. Around 74% of its passengers travel domestically to 51 destinations, with the top five being Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL)Cairns (CNS), Townsville (TSV) and Perth (PER).

More international potential is emerging

Internationally, BNE connects to 34 destinations, with around 729 weekly flights carrying 6.2 million passengers a year. Major airlines include Singapore AirlinesQatar Airways, Emirates, Air CanadaAir 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 about 60% of pre-Covid levels. Brisbane Airport spokesman Stephen Beckett said more international services would return in the coming weeks, including non-stop 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 in high demand, which is great news for jobs and our tourism recovery, with approximately 75% of international visitors arriving in Queensland via Brisbane Airport. “

At the end of October United Airlines UA96 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) landed at BNE, becoming the first regular non-stop passenger service from the US mainland to Queensland. Prior to the onset of COVID, the US was Queensland’s third largest inbound travel market with approximately 236,000 visitors annually. New United Airlines Boeing 787-9 the service will add around 40,000 seats and a projected A$27 million ($17.3 million) to the state’s visitor economy.

Australia’s aviation regulator Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has launched a helpful app called Can I Pack This?, which is available for both Apple and Android devices. The app provides passengers with information on what can and cannot be carried or packed, in what quantities and is available on the CASA website. The airport notes that if you’re packing “toys or gifts, certain items such as Nerf Guns and replica objects may appear as weapons to security screening, requiring bags to be removed and rechecked, causing delays.”

After seeing the chaos and frustration caused by overcrowded airports in Europe and the US earlier this year, it seems Australian airports have learned some communication lessons. Let’s hope things go smoothly this summer by planning ahead and letting passengers know what they can do to help the process.

How do you think Australian airports can cope with pre-Covid numbers?