Springing Into School Holidays With Tourism Surge
- 2023-09-14
- 1.65 million people to travel through Brisbane Airport this school holiday period
- Friday 29 September forecast to be busiest post Covid day at BNE with 70,000 passengers
- Airport Parking to be very busy during holidays with passengers urged to book ahead
- School holidays terminal activities to get children active before their flight
- Trial of therapy puppies proves a success and they're back!
The spring holidays will see a forecast 1.65 million passengers travelling through Brisbane Airport, as Australians takes a break, with Queensland high on the destination list.
Mondays and Fridays will be the busiest days for domestic travel throughout the holidays, while Saturdays will be the busiest for international travel.
Domestic
Domestic travel at BNE will be 6% busier than the same time last year with 1,287,000 passengers forecast to travel through the Domestic Terminal. This is 92% of pre-Covid 2019 levels.
"The Domestic Terminal will be humming these school holidays as Aussies come for an early taste of Summer, and when Brisbane Airport is busy, Queensland is busy," according to Stephen Becket, Head of Public Affairs at Brisbane Airport.
"While it will be busy, if passengers arrive 90 minutes before their domestic flight, they will comfortably get away for their holidays stress free."
"One thing we do want to flag is that our car parks will be very busy these holidays, so if you are driving to the airport, it is important that you book online in advance. Many more people are choosing to drive rather than catch rideshare as they want certainty over their trip and to arrive on time."
International
The International Terminal will see 40% more passengers than during the Spring holidays in 2022, with 366,000 people on the move. This is 75% of pre-Covid 2019 levels.
"With each new international route announcement, that recovery gets stronger, fueling jobs across Queensland’s tourism industry. Soon non-stop flights from mainland China will begin, so the connection to Queensland’s most lucrative tourism market will be restored," according to Stephen Beckett, Head of Public Affairs at Brisbane Airport.
"Passengers for international flights should arrive 3 hours prior for overseas travel, so that you build in a buffer to cope with busy roads, parking, terminals or delays to your taxi or rideshare."
The top five locations where international visitors are coming from:
- New Zealand
- USA
- UK
- India
- Taiwan
For Queenslanders travelling abroad, the most popular destinations are New Zealand, Bali, UK, Fiji and USA.
Therapy Dogs
Brisbane Airport is bringing therapy dogs back to the Domestic Terminal as a way of reducing preflight stress for the travelling public. The canine ambassadors from Therapy and Support Animals Australia are coming into the terminal with their handlers to provide a furry support to manage any anxiety. Brisbane Airport completed a trial of therapy dogs in the Domestic Terminal in July.
"The therapy dogs trial was such a success, returning them for school holidays was a no-brainer. Passengers and airline crew found they lowered stress levels and were a nice pre-flight distraction. The team had so many incredible interactions with people as the dogs provided an icebreaker."
Domestic Terminal School Holiday Activities – Studio BNE
Date - Monday 11 September to Monday 2 October, 7:30am - 12:30pm daily
Where: Qantas Food Court & opposite Newstead Brewing Co
Try your luck on our Spin & Win wheel, where you could win an instant prize or a voucher to spend in one of our participating retailers. There is also a scavenger hunt if you want to stay active and explore the terminal, or if you are pushed for time, take one of our activity books to complete on your flight.
More info: What's on and offers at Brisbane Airport
International Terminal School Holiday Activities – Studio BNE
Date - Monday 11 September to Monday 2 October, 6am - 11am daily
Where - Village Green, Level 3, after security
Sit back and enjoy a family movie in our soft comfy chairs or get crafty and design your very own canvas bag. There is also a scavenger hunt if you want to stay active and explore the terminal, or if you are pushed for time, take one of our activity books to complete on your flight. There is also the chance to try your luck on our Spin & Win wheel!
Top 5 Days for International school holiday traffic
| Date | Forecast Passengers | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saturday, 30 September 2023 | 15,800 |
| 2 | Saturday, 16 September 2023 | 15,800 |
| 3 | Saturday, 23 September 2023 | 15,700 |
| 4 | Saturday, 7 October 2023 | 15,100 |
| 5 | Sunday, 1 October 2023 | 14,800 |
Top 5 Days for Domestic school holiday traffic
| Date | Forecast Passengers | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday, 29 September 2023 | 56,100 |
| 2 | Friday, 22 September 2023 | 55,400 |
| 3 | Monday, 2 October 2023 | 55,200 |
| 4 | Monday, 25 September 2023 | 54,900 |
| 5 | Friday, 15 September 2023 | 54,500 |
| Year | Days | Dates | Domestic passengers | International Passengers | TOTAL Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 26 | Thurs 14 Sept to Mon 9 Oct | 1,287,000 | 366,000 | 1,653,000 |
| 2022 | 26 | Thurs 15 Sept to Mon 10 Oct | 1,212,000 | 262,000 | 1,474,000 |
| 2019 | 26 | Thurs 19 Sept to Mon 14 Oct | 1,406,000 | 489,000 | 1,895,000 |
| % Restoration vs 2019 | 92% | 75% | 87% | ||
| Change vs 2022 | 6% | 40% | 12% |
