Gold Coast Airport: Busy days expected in the lead up to Christmas 2024

New data has revealed the two days of the Christmas season when Gold Coast Airport is expected to be busiest as a record number of visitors head for the city. FIND OUT MORE

The Christmas and New Year period is tipped to be one of the busiest yet for Gold Coast Airport, with a record number of visitors expected to come through the doors.

More than 1.2 million people are due to flood into the city in coming weeks, with the bulk coming from Sydney and Melbourne.

Airport chief commercial officer Adam Rowe said the festive season traffic was expected to begin ramping up on Friday.

“We are anticipating passenger numbers will start to pick up from this Friday, with the busiest days expected to be the 20th and 27th of December,” he said.

“On the busiest days we’re likely to see more than 22,000 passengers through Gold Coast Airport – so we’re asking passengers to allow extra time to get to and through the terminal.”

Expect to see big crowds at the airport this Christmas. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Mr Rowe said the airport’s traffic modelling suggested strong domestic visitor numbers this year, with the city’s most popular international route being Auckland.

Traffic will increased again in late January when a seasonal service connecting the Gold Coast and Hong Kong launches.

Mr Rowe warned passengers to get to the airport early before flights.

“If you’re flying out of Gold Coast Airport, we recommend booking your parking online well in advance,” he said.

Adam Rowe Picture Glenn Hampson

“By arriving early passengers will avoid the stress of having to rush for a flight and can make the most of our upgraded departure lounge by relaxing in our expanded seating areas, or shopping and dining in our new stores.”

News of the bumper numbers comes after a year in which the industry has struggled to bounce back from the Covid downturn.

Figures from Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey show the city generated $1.131 billion in expenditure from international visitors in the 12 months to the end of March.

That was down $228 million on pre-pandemic figures recorded at the same time five years ago – a 16.7 per cent decline.

Only Melbourne fared worse in dollar terms, with international visitor expenditure in the Victorian capital down $727 million – a nine per cent drop on its 2019 figure.