Queensland Airports Limited (QAL): Summer Travel Sets Post-covid Record

Queensland Airports Limited (QAL) has recorded its busiest month since before the pandemic, welcoming more than 760,000 passengers through its four airports in January. 

The month was also the fifth busiest on record for the group and Gold Coast Airport, which saw more than 622,000 passengers throughout the month. 

Regional areas also saw strong demand during what is typically a quieter time of the year - Townsville and Mount Isa airports recorded their 3rd busiest Januarys on record, while Longreach Airport saw a 14% jump in passengers compared to the same period last year. 

QAL Chief Commercial Officer Adam Rowe said the strong result is testament to the state’s diverse tourism offerings. 

“To see passenger growth across all four of our airports is a really positive sign for travel and the regions our airports support,” 

“Townsville Airport, while not as busy as it is in the winter months, did see positive growth with more than 15,200 additional passengers travelling to and from Brisbane – a 26% increase on January 2024.

"Gold Coast Airport recorded strong year on year growth on key markets – with 5% more passengers travelling on the Melbourne route and 26% growth on New Zealand services when compared with 2024. 

“We were also really pleased to see the popularity of our seasonal Hong Kong services, with more than 3,000 passengers travelling on the seasonal route in the first 2 weeks alone. 

Demand for travel is strong - it continues to outstrip supply particularly on key markets such as Gold Coast to Sydney and Melbourne where close to 90% of seats are filled, 

“We’re working closely with our airline partners to assess where we can build in additional capacity to support that demand,” he said. 

Gold Coast Airport will welcome 3 new routes in the next four months – to Dundedin and Hamilton in New Zealand, and Darwin.