Cairns Airport had 52,000 passengers travel in and out and expects the same this Anzac Day long weekend
Pre-pandemic levels of business return to the Far North as Cairns Airport records the busiest period in years. Find out what to expect for the Anzac Day long weekend.
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PRE-PANDEMIC levels of business have returned to the Far North as Cairns Airport records the busiest period in years.
Cairns Airport’s chief executive officer Garry Porter said domestic travel increased as a number of Australians were holidaying at home during the Easter weekend.
“Fifty-two thousand passengers passed through the airport exceeding the same period of 2018 and matching 2019,” he said.
“To put things into perspective in 2020 we had just 533 passengers use the airport during the whole of the Easter week.”
Mr Porter said the number of daily passengers had remained strong and on par with pre-pandemic levels that was held up by school holidays, Easter and long weekends.
However, it will still be some time before operations returns to normal.
“We do not envisage returning to pre-pandemic levels across the board for at least 12 to 24 months as international visitors are expected to return slowly and they also make up over 20 per cent of our domestic market,” Mr Porter said.
Preparing for the Anzac Day long weekend, Mr Porter said a stream of travellers would be passing through the airport once more.
“We expect to see strong numbers over the long weekend as NSW and VIC visitors return at the end of their school holidays,” he said.
Uber confirmed rides dropping off at Cairns Airport rose to eight per cent greater than rides on Good Friday in 2019.
Margarita Peker, head of rider operations at Uber, said the data proved that tourism was well and truly returning to Cairns.
“It’s incredible to see Cairns Airport, among others, roaring back to life over the Easter long weekend,” she said.
“We expect a busier-than-usual Anzac Day long weekend.”
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