Packed planes relegated to history as airlines beef-up capacity into Australia

The post-Covid-19 travel boom is officially over, with international airline data showing planes are nowhere near as packed as they were a year ago.

Broome in Western Australia will soon welcome flights from Singapore in a major tourism win for the town.

The post-Covid-19 travel boom is well and truly over, with latest international airline activity data showing flights are carrying fewer passengers as more capacity is added to the Australian market.

January statistics published by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics showed the average percentage of seats filled across all services was 81.5 per cent, down from 86.5 per cent the same time a year ago.

A 35 per cent increase in the number of seats was the main reason for the fall, after airlines such as Qantas, Jetstar, Singapore, Cathay Pacific and Emirates bulked up capacity late last year.

The most popular routes out of Australia in January included India, Japan, Thailand and South Africa, with seat utilisation rates in the high 80s, or 90s.

Heading into Australia, the biggest loads were on flights from Canada, Indonesia, Fiji and the UK as travellers returned from holidays. 

Routes with fewer passengers included Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Nauru, as well as Papua New Guinea and East Timor.

Etihad Airways’ flights maintained the highest seat utilisation average of 96.8 per cent inbound and 88 per cent outbound.

Singapore Airlines’ flights were also largely full, with a 95.5 per cent seat utilisation, while Qantas and Jetstar also continued to see strong passenger numbers across most routes.

In contrast Delta Air Lines and United had around 30 per cent of seats empty on inbound flights, and even more on outbound services. Hainan and Tianjin Airlines also appeared to be having trouble filling seats on services to China.

International airline activity data for January showed some of the fullest flights were from Canada to Australia. Picture: Tourism Saskatchewan

As the wanderlust has cooled, airfares have done the same with Flight Centre observing a 13 per cent fall in economy fares in the second half of 2023, and an 8 per cent dip in premium cabin fares.

The biggest decreases were on routes with strong competition among airlines including New Zealand, Singapore, the US and Japan.

Airline sales have also become more frequent, with Qantas already staging several international fare promotions in 2024, most recently on Japan, Seoul, Singapore and Hong Kong routes.

The sales came as airlines continued to add capacity and routes, with American and Delta to operate to Brisbane by the end of the year, Thai Airways restarting Perth-Bangkok on Sunday, and Jetstar Asia announcing a new seasonal Broome-Singapore route from June 25.

The twice-weekly flights into the West Australian tourist centre promised to deliver a whole new market of international visitors to the scenic Kimberley Region, for $145 each way.

Jetstar Asia chief executive John Simeone said he was delighted to add Broome to the airline’s growing network.

“Just over four hours away from Singapore, Broome is an amazing destination for those looking for a holiday of a lifetime,” Mr. Simeone said.

“This new route, combined with our low fares, underscores our commitment to providing customers with a diverse range of destinations and incredible travel experiences.”

Broome International Airport CEO Craig Shaw said the number one question he was asked by locals was when international flights were going to start.

“International connections to Broome have been a long held ambition for the airport and the local tourism industry, and we are pleased that Jetstar Asia recognises the region’s desirability as a visitor destination,” said Mr Shaw.

“This connectivity brings Broome closer to the rest of the world and will provide fantastic travel and holiday options for residents of the north west.”

Residents of Broome and WA’s north west will soon have a direct connection to Singapore, on a Jetstar Asia flight. Picture: Singapore Tourism Board

The flights were made possible by the WA government’s $75m aviation recovery fund, designed to help rebuild the international airline industry in the wake of the state’s Covid shutdown.

Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said the Singapore-Broome service would provide a new international entry point into WA and help “turbocharge international visitor numbers to the north west”.

“It will also offer many more itinerary options for overseas visitors from around the world, through Singapore’s Changi Airport as a major global hub, to help transform how visitors explore our magnificent state,” said Ms Saffioti.