Travel continues its impressive COVID recovery with the number of people using Melbourne Airport hitting a new post-pandemic high in October.
Records show some 3,138,380 passengers travelled through the domestic and international terminals during the month.
The figure includes 2,163,667 domestic passengers, which is the highest number recorded since January 2024, while the 974,713 international travellers is a new record for October.
Overall traveller numbers were up 4.1 per cent compared to October 2023, despite airlines operating fewer flights.
Despite the encouraging figures, Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the growth in traveller numbers highlighted the need for airports to take a long-term approach to infrastructure planning.
“Despite the economic headwinds many households are facing, travellers continue to take to the skies in growing numbers,” she said.
“International passenger numbers were the highest they’ve ever been in October, while domestic travellers hit a new post-pandemic high.
“We are planning for continued growth, to make sure our terminal, airfield and ground transport infrastructure meets the needs of travellers not just today, but also for the decades to come.
“Accessibility is a key focus for our team, as we work to ensure the airport experience is not a barrier that prevents or restricts people from travelling.
“It’s important that as our precinct expands, we keep the needs of passengers front of mind and we look forward to working with our airline partners to ensure these enhancements are delivered appropriately.
“We’re investing more than a billion dollars a year in infrastructure upgrades and they will cause disruption, but I’d like to thank our passengers for their patience while we undertake these important works.”
