Gold Coast Airport’s hopes of speedy recovery dashed after Queensland announced new NSW and ACT border closures
Gold Coast Airport was on the road to recovery – but border closures mean they have been forced into another rethink of plans. READ ALL THE DETAILS
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GOLD Coast Airport’s hopes for a surge in the number of flights touching down in the city have been left in tatters by the latest border closures.
TheBulletin can reveal passenger numbers at the airport soared to around 44,000 in July, 39,000 more than the month before, after the Queensland border reopened.
Now, the airport’s recovery has been crippled by the closure of borders to NSW and ACT.
Flight schedules have quickly dropped off, Canberra and Newcastle flights have been canned and only limited Sydney connections are available for essential travel.
Adelaide and Townsville flights remain in operation, but the airport expects to see only two flights a day in the short term.
Queensland Airports Limited CEO Chris Mills confirmed the airport team had been talking to airlines about increasing flight schedules before the new border restrictions were announced.
“The negative impact to flight schedules was immediate,” he said.
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“Apart from the direct impact on flight numbers and travel schedules, we are concerned that confidence in future travel planning is being affected by the lack of clarity on when borders are opened and shut.”
“We understand the health concerns with community transmission in Victoria, and support the strong stance there.
“But we were surprised about the ACT decision – it has been almost a month since a COVID-19 case was detected in the ACT.”
Mr Mills said July growth had been encouraging and proved there was strong demand for travel to the city. But passenger numbers were still a massive 92 per cent below 2019 levels.
Flight numbers to Sydney jumped when the border reopened July 10 and links were re-established with Adelaide, Newcastle, Canberra and Townsville.
The city’s battered tourism industry considered the growing network a lifeline.
Mr Mills said the airport was waiting on the next update on the border at the end of the month.
FAST FACTS
- Gold Coast Airport passenger numbers for July 2020 were 44,156, compared to 583,976 in July 2019, or a decline of 92.4 per cent.
- In June, a total of 5,390 passengers passed through the gates at Gold Coast Airport, representing a 98.9 per cent drop on June 2019 when 474,644 passengers were recorded.
- In May just 2,297 passengers were recorded flying in or out of Gold Coast Airport.
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