Gold Coast Airport a ghost town as numbers plummet to just 3 flights a week

The Gold Coast Airport has had a staggering 99 per cent drop in passengers as a result of the ongoing border closure.

GOLD Coast Airport is opening its doors for just three commercial flights a week as war rages over whether to reopen the NSW border.

The gateway to the city's $6 billion tourism mecca has fewer weekly flights than NSW rural towns such as Wagga Wagga (12) and Dubbo (15).

Even Airlie Beach, with a population of just 1208, has more planes landing at nearby Proserpine, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday announcing a new four-flight deal from Brisbane.

Passengers numbers on the Gold Coast Airport have dropped 99 per cent, with a paltry 2000 people through the gates last month, down almost 470,000 visitors.

TOURISM MINISTER HITS OUT AT GUTTER POLITICS

An empty Gold Coast Airport. Photo: Scott Powick.

Similar reductions were recorded in April and are expected in June. Australia’s sixth-busiest airport had 420 flights per week before COVID-19 restrictions.

“There will be no real recovery for the airport and for the Gold Coast’s tourism industry until the state border reopens and the valuable NSW and Victorian visitor markets returned,” said Queensland Airports Limited chief executive Chris Mills.

“While opening up the Gold Coast to intrastate tourism is a positive step, in 2019 daytrip visitors contributed just 15 per cent of the $5.9 billion in economic benefit that tourism delivers for the Gold Coast.

“We have no intrastate flights in and out of Gold Coast Airport and things won’t change for the airport, or in any significant way for the tourism sector we support, until flights restart to Melbourne and increase to Sydney.”

MORE NEWS

‘Petrol thrown’ before massive blaze at Coast marina

Shocking fate of new Dreamworld rollercoaster revealed

‘Unbelievable’: Coast building industry thrown a lifeline

Queensland Airports Limited CEO Chris Mills in an empty Gold Coast Airport check-in area. Photo: Scott Powick.

Mr Mills said until a date was set for the border reopening, the pain would continue for the tourism sector.

“It will take weeks, not days, for the industry to be ready to welcome visitors back to Queensland and they need time to plan. Travel is not a last-minute decision for most people,” he said.

Figures started plummeting in March following the Federal Government’s travel restrictions, with 306,423 passengers compared to the 501,907 in March 2019. By April, these fell from 560,439 in 2019 to just 1519.

Tourism leaders say the Gold Coast is bleeding $310 million every month the border is closed. About 7500 of the city’s 60,000 small businesses closed in April. More are expected when the May figures are revealed.

An empty Gold Coast Airport. Photo: Scott Powick

The news comes as Tourism Minister Kate Jones appeared to take credit yesterday for a Whitsunday Regional Council initiative offering cheap flights to the popular holiday destination. Her post on social media said: “We’ve secured new flights direct from Brisbane to the Whitsundays – tickets go on sale today. Alliance Airlines will fly four times per week from June 22.”

It is understood the State Government had no direct involvement in brokering the deal.

In a statement, Ms Jones said Destination Gold Coast was pulling together a proposal and “we’re happy to look at any proposal. Tourism and Events Queensland is in constant discussions with Gold Coast Airport and airlines about returning flights returning to the Coast”.

Mr Mills said he welcomed any intrastate services but that the return of high-volume markets such as Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand would deliver the most significant benefit to Gold Coast Airport and the Gold Coast economy.

OPPOSITION LEADER ATTACKS PREMIER’S “BORDER SHAMBLES”

Queensland Airport Limited CEO Chris Mills wants Queensland’s borders open as soon as possible. Photo: Scott Powick.

The only flights operating are Virgin’s Gold Coast-Sydney return services on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, funded by the Federal Government, and they’re for essential workers and those travelling for compassionate reasons.

Domestic travel makes up 80 per cent of Gold Coast Airport’s business and Mr Mills said that the Gold Coast to Sydney and Gold Coast to Melbourne routes were two of the busiest in the country.

“The sooner we know when the border is scheduled to re-open, the more likely the tourism industry will be able to benefit from the change in restrictions,” he said.

Previously eight international routes operated out of Gold Coast Airport, four to various ports in New Zealand and the rest to Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Japan and Tokyo. Domestic routes included Hobart, Perth and Adelaide, with Sydney and Melbourne the most popular.