Annual Darwin Christmas drain set to kick in with thousands headed south at weekend
Darwin and the Northern Territory are expected to be emptied over weekend as thousands head south for Christmas. Read the numbers.
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Darwin International Airport is heading for its busiest two days of the year as holiday makers prepare for their seasonal breaks.
Airport operators estimate more than 100,000 passengers will pass through Darwin airport in the weeks surrounding Christmas.
Two of the busiest days are expected to be on Friday and Saturday with around 6000 passengers moving through the terminal as people travel to reconnect with family and friends.
The airline is slightly busier this year with the arrival of new carriers Bonza and Nexus and new routes from the Sunshine Coast and north-west WA.
There is a new layout within the terminal following an $11m upgrade including check in kiosks, major renovations to food and beverage outlets, expanded security screening and covered car parking.
There are more bag drop facilities to speed up the check in process for passengers.
Airport Development Group chief executive Rob Porter said airport staff would be available to assist passengers having difficulty with the new arrangements.
“We understand the check-in kiosks may be new to some and there will be airline staff available if help is needed when using the kiosks.”
Jetstar’s busiest route over the period is Darwin to Melbourne followed by Darwin to Brisbane and Darwin to Sydney
The airline’s chief operation officer Matt Franzi said it was expecting to carry more than 30,000 customers into and out of Darwin over three weeks from December 20 to January 10.
Jetstar’s two busiest days for travel to and from Darwin are Friday December 22 and
Friday January 5.
“We’re as ready as we can be across our network, with additional staff rostered on, spare aircraft and parts available, and more resources for our customer service teams,” Mr Franzi said.
Holiday departures from the Northern Territory reflect the high turnover of the permanent population with the Australian Bureau of Statistics reporting one-third of the population leaves the jurisdiction every five years.
Data from the 2021 census showed in the five previous years, population turnover was 333 per 1000 residents.
Next highest turnover was the ACT with 257 per 1000, with Victoria and WA lowest with 60 per 1000.
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