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Australian airports see more int'l travellers

Xinhua, April 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australia has become a more popular destination as 3.5 million passengers travelled to and from Australia in January, up 8 percent from the same period last year, statistics showed Wednesday.

According to the data released by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE), this is also a 75 percent increase compared with the figure recorded in January 2006.

As demand for international flights continues to increase, the Australian government is committed to supporting growth in aviation capacity, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said.

"The Australian Government is looking to the future to ensure Australia is internationally competitive and can cater for the growing demands on our international airports," he said.

"We are working to ensure international airports are created in locations where they are needed most, providing international visitors with gateways into Australia and Australians with easy access to international markets and destinations."

According to the BITRE report, International Airline Activity January 2016, Sydney remains the dominant international gateway with 41 percent of all international passengers followed by Melbourne with 25 percent, Brisbane with 14 percent and Perth with 12 percent.

The government has approved a plan to build a second airport in western Sydney to cater to increasing demand for international travelling.

"Over 40 percent of all international passengers in Australia are travelling through Sydney Airport. The proposed Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek will increase aviation capacity across the Sydney basin while creating thousands of jobs and reducing travel times for the Western Sydney community," Chester said.

He added that the government also approved a range of Master Plans in 2015 including those for Perth and Adelaide airports.

The BITRE report showed the share of passenger traffic accounted for by Australian-designated airlines - Qantas Airways, Jetstar and Virgin Australia - increased from around 30 percent in January 2015 to 32.5 percent in January 2016.

Low cost carriers - AirAsia X, Cebu Pacific Air, Indonesia AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia Extra, Jetstar, Jetstar Asia and Scoot - accounted for 18 percent of total international passenger traffic in January 2016. Enditem