Annual international passenger numbers at Adelaide Airport hit record one million figure for first time
THE number of international passengers passing through Adelaide Airport hit a new record last financial year, topping one million for the first time.
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THE number of international passengers passing through Adelaide Airport soared to new heights last financial year, topping 1 million for the first time.
On the back of new services across Asia, the airport welcomed 1.05 million international passengers in the 12 months to June, up 5.5 per cent from the previous year.
The Chinese market provided the biggest increase in inbound travel, with an additional 11,000 visitors arriving from China during the past year.
The biggest increase in outbound passenger numbers was to Fiji, with approximately 8000 more travellers taking advantage of Fiji Airways’ new direct service to Nadi.
Adelaide Airport managing director Mark Young said strong international growth supported the recently announced plans to expand the airport’s main terminal.
“Not only are we attracting new airlines travelling to new destinations, our existing airline partners are increasing services to cater for the demand,” he said.
“Since privatisation in 1998, our international passenger numbers have more than quadrupled. The number of international destinations has increased from four to nine over the same period, which in turn has created one-stop connections with more than 300 cities around the globe.
“We continue to work hard to attract new airlines flying to new locations, and the US west coast is very much on our radar.”
In addition to Fiji Airway’s new service to Nadi, Qatar Airways increased the number of flights to Doha from five to seven per week last financial year, while China Southern lifted its service to Guangzhou from three flights per week to five flights on a seasonal basis.
Singapore Airlines and Jetstar also offered new seasonal services to Singapore and Bali, while Malaysia Airlines and Cathay Pacific have announced service increases in the second half of this year.
Last month, Adelaide Airport revealed plans to undergo a $165 million redevelopment, including a new-look international arrivals area featuring new VIP facilities and lounges.
The airport’s master plan predicts annual international passenger numbers will rise to 2.81 million by 2034, while domestic passenger numbers are expected to reach 14.1 million by that time.
Close to 7.4 million domestic passengers passed through Adelaide Airport last financial year, up from 7.1 million in the previous year.