Major delays expected as 55,000 passengers set to flood into Brisbane Airport on Easter Monday

Travellers are being urged to arrive at least two hours early as thousands of people are expected to fill Brisbane Domestic terminals today following the Easter long weekend.

Fifty-five thousand passengers are expected to flood through the Brisbane Airports' domestic terminals today with travellers told to plan ahead and arrive at least two hours early.

Brisbane Airport’s head of public affairs Stephen Beckett said “extraordinarily” busy passenger numbers were predicted on Easter Monday following the long weekend and end of Queensland school holidays.

Mr Beckett said the Easter long weekend’s influx through the terminal was worth about $2bn to the Queensland economy, and part of $7bn nationwide.

However, he warned anyone flying out of the airport on Monday should arrive at least two hours early and to pre-book any taxis, Ubers or public transport.

“We are advising travellers to arrive two hours early, check in online if they can and to have their luggage pre-ready for security,” Mr Beckett said.

“It will be busy right through the day. We are expecting extraordinarily numbers.”

Taylor Reid (centre) with partner Victoria, brother Nathan, and Chloe and Oliver at Brisbane Airport for start of Easter Holidays on Friday. Picture: Richard Walker

Mr Beckett said more than 56,000 passengers came through the airport on Thursday, in what was the largest single-day volume since the pandemic.

Prior to Covid-19, he said passenger numbers through the airport would hit levels of about 40,000 per day.

“It’s been amazing to see so many families reunite with loved ones,” he said.

It comes as the State Government today launches the first of several tourism campaigns aimed at enticing New Zealanders to spend the winter months in the Sunshine State.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said New Zealand was one of the state’s most important international visitor markets in a $600m pre-pandemic boost to economy.

Mr Hinchliffe said the State Government and Tourism and Events Queensland launched a partnership with Ignite Travel and Air New Zealand to deliver flight and holiday deals.

“With quarantine-free travel to Queensland for Covid-19 vaccinated visitors and New Zealand lifting travel restrictions, there’s never been a better time remind Kiwis about visitor experiences found only in Queensland,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

From today, Ignite Travel will launch its MyQueensland in New Zealand for the first time while Air New Zealand will launch its winter airfare deals to Queensland later this month.

Crowds at Brisbane Airport for start of Easter Holidays. Picture: Richard Walker

Brisbane Airport Corporation’s executive general manager Rachel Crowley said more than 1.5m passengers flew between Brisbane and New Zealand in 2019.

Ms Crowley said more than 100 flights were welcomed into Brisbane from Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin and Queenstown per week each with the potential to pump $1m into the economy.

She said many of the state’s holiday destinations like Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Hervey, and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts would benefit from the influx of Kiwis.

Mr Hinchliffe said Ignite Travel’s MyQueensland was the first stage of an integrated campaign to bring more Kiwi holiday-makers across the ditch to Queensland.