Community
13 April, 2024
Airport hits high altitude
PASSENGER numbers through Cairns Airport are nearly at pre-COVID (2019) levels.
The latest figures for February show a 74 per cent rise in international arrivals (49,110 compared to 28,248 in February 2023) while through the domestic terminal there has been 19.2 per cent growth (269,746 versus 226,305).
For the rolling 12 months international growth was 181.9 per cent up to 560,971 people while domestic increases were 4.5 per cent to 3.97 million.
Airport chief executive officer Richard Barker told last week’s Cairns Chamber of Commerce meeting that in the last 12 months Singapore Airlines had shown “strong constant growth”.
He said seat capacity was up 228 per cent in April compared to April 2019, while the Japan route had grown 131 per cent with 18 services a week provided by Jetstar and Virgin Australia. Bali seats (Jetstar) were up 105 per cent while Air New Zealand’s Auckland route was slightly down to 94 per cent.
Mr Barker said Air New Zealand had resumed its seasonal flights until October as well as direct flights operated by Jetstar from Newcastle, also until October.
He said Rex Regional Express added new Cairns-Brisbane flights while Bonza had extra services to the Gold Coast.
The outlook for 2024 included supporting Singapore Airlines new four times a week A350-900 (303-seat capacity) service and to grow freight exports, Mr Barker said.
He said the airport was working on securing new international routes to leverage new long-range narrow body aircraft coming online and continuing the steady growth on the domestic network.
Two of four new airbridges had been installed with two more to come and the arrivals lounge upgrade (including new toilets) were due to be completed by July, Mr Barker said.
He said work would be starting soon in the departures lounge and arrivals baggage claim, while the international lounge would be re-opening in the near future.
Mr Barker said the eastern aviation precinct was also due to start for a new emergency services base (emergency helicopter) and tourism operations (helicopters) as well as additional maintenance, repair, and operations capacity and a sustainable aviation fuel storage facility.
He said – with Advance Cairns – the airport was lobbying for funding of $45 million for a common-user hangar as well as Australia’s first Cessna Caravan full flight simulator.
“Expansion is critical, current organisations (at general aviation) are at capacity,” Mr Barker said.
