TRAFFIC

Traveller numbers are on the rise at Hong Kong International Airport, with 3.1 million passengers passing through the gateway in April. The total represents a massive upturn on the 126,000 that passed through its facilities in the travel restricted same month a year ago. Compared to the same month last year, flight movements more than […]

China’s re-opening to international travel is likely to be more of a slow burner than a game changer for the aviation industry, writes OAG’s chief analyst, John Grant. The news of China re-opening to all international travel from January 8, 2023, came as a surprise to most forecasters. Indeed, considering how much China’s capacity has […]

In a major milestone for Sydney Airport, the Australian hub welcomed its 50th airline with the arrival of Vietjet’s inaugural service from Ho Chi Minh City. This is the highest number of airlines flying regular scheduled passenger services the airport has ever seen in its 103-year history. Flight VJ85 touched down in Sydney this morning […]

Dubai Airports CEO, Paul Griffiths, says that Dubai International Airport (DXB) will continue to strive for excellence after the gateway’s status as the world’s busiest international airport in 2022 was confirmed by new ACI World data. He notes: “We are obviously quite thrilled to top the list of the world’s busiest international airports for the […]

Preliminary February 2023 traffic figures released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed that international passenger markets continued to expand at a robust pace, buoyed by the strong appetite for travel, in tandem with the Lunar New Year holiday season. Overall, 16.9 million international passengers were carried by Asia Pacific airlines in […]

Newcastle Airport in Australia will welcome more direct flights to Cairns this year after Jetstar announced its decision to up its frequency on the route. Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock, welcomed the announcement, saying it’s more good news for the region. “We are thrilled to once again partner with Jetstar and Cairns Airport for a […]

A total of 15.9 million passengers used Abu Dhabi’s five airports in 2022 – more than tripling the 5.26 million handled in 2021. The bulk of the total passed through Abu Dhabi International Airport with the remainder using either Al Ain International, Al Bateen Executive, Delma Island or Sir Bani Yas Island airports. His Excellency, […]

Airport International Group (AIG), operator of Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport, reports that the Amman gateway “recorded noteworthy achievements in terms of traffic growth, global connectivity, decarbonisation and customer experience” during 2022. While its traffic figures have yet to reach pre-COVID levels, Queen Alia noted improvements last year – welcoming 7.8 million passengers – 72% […]

In an expansion of capacity between Europe and Brisbane, Emirates has announced that it will move to double-daily flights between Dubai (DXB) and BNE, increasing the number of tourists flying into Queensland. It currently operates a daily A380 service to Brisbane. From June, this will be joined by an additional daily B777-300ER with 354 seats. […]

Abu Dhabi Airports today released its passenger traffic results for the third quarter of 2022, which show that 4.7 million passengers passed through its gateways during the period from July 1 to September 30. The total, handled across Abu Dhabi International Airport and the smaller gateways of Al Ain International, Al Bateen Executive, Delma Island […]

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR) today announced that it is back at pre-COVID passenger levels owing to the high traffic numbers recorded in its current financial year. Displaying the ongoing momentum of passenger recovery, passenger traffic volumes at BLR registered over 102% growth in domestic travel and about 85% growth in international travel in […]

The Middle East, sustainability and traffic recovery are among the main focuses of ACI Asia-Pacific’s new president, Emmanuel Menanteau, writes Sunil Subbaiah. Newly appointed ACI Asia-Pacific president, Emmanuel Menanteau, is a well known face in the region, having gained substantial experience working across Asia over the last two decades. Indeed, his assignments to date have […]

Preliminary August 2022 traffic figures released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed robust recovery in international air passenger markets as pent-up travel demand continued to drive growth, despite increasingly challenging global economic conditions. In August, the region’s airlines carried a combined 13.1 million international passengers, compared to just 1.4 million recorded […]

China’s tougher border measures and Japan’s cautious approach towards relaxation of inbound travel restrictions could displace Asia-Pacific as the world’s largest air passenger market for the year 2022. Asia-Pacific which has dominated the civil aviation market for several years prior to the pandemic, is estimated to finish second, behind Europe in terms of passenger share, […]

Australian national flag carrier, Qantas, today launched a new route to Bengaluru (BLR) from Sydney (SYD), providing the first direct air connection between Southern India and Australia. QF68 will cut nearly three hours off of the current fastest travel time between the two cities and significantly boost connectivity between India and New South Wales. Since […]

More than one million people will pass through Brisbane Airport in the two weeks of the upcoming school holidays, as travellers make the most of the spring break. The peak times in the Domestic Terminal (6am-9am and 5pm-7pm) will be at 100% of pre-COVID levels during the holiday period, with around 57,000 people passing through […]

Abu Dhabi Airports has reported “healthy figures for passenger traffic”, revealing that it handled 6.2 million passengers across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Bateen Executive, Delma and Sir Bani Yas Island airports in the first half of 2022. CEO, Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, said: “Our passenger traffic results for this year’s first half represent another stride […]

A steady surge of growth throughout the second quarter has propelled Dubai International’s (DXB) half yearly traffic to 27.9 million passengers, just 1.2 million shy of the airport’s total annual traffic last year. DXB achieved the milestone despite a significant reduction in capacity resulting from the 45-day closure of its northern runway in May-June for […]

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) welcomed 401,000 passengers in July, 2022, a colossal 259.3% increase over the same period last year, although passenger volumes remain significantly down on pre-pandemic levels. Cargo throughput and air traffic movements recorded 17% and 3.1% year-on-year drops to 348,000 tonnes and 11,485 movements, respectively. The relaxation of inbound travel and […]

There has been cautious sense of optimism for the aviation sector following the relaxation of travel restrictions and successful vaccination programmes in many parts of Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, according to the latest figures released today by ACI Asia-Pacific. The second edition of its Industry Outlook for the second quarter of 2022 (April to […]

Preliminary May 2022 traffic figures released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed international air passenger demand strengthened markedly amidst the lifting of travel restrictions that unleashed a robust return of travellers since the pandemic. For the month, the number of international passengers carried by Asia Pacific airlines increased more than five-fold […]

Preliminary April 2022 traffic figures released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed a healthy increase in international passenger demand, as the progressive relaxation of border restrictions across the region stimulated business and leisure travel. Overall, Asia-Pacific airlines recorded a 272.9% jump in the number of international passengers carried (a total of […]

Asia-Pacific and the Middle East aviation industry is experiencing green shoots of recovery, according to the first edition of the Airport Industry Outlook, a quarterly report by Airports Council International Asia-Pacific (ACI APAC). The report, developed in partnership with Mott MacDonald — a global engineering, management and development consultancy— provides a snapshot of how airports […]

Queen Alia International Airport welcomed 1.83 million passengers during the first four months of 2022, 204.8% more than during the corresponding period a year ago. The Jordanian gateway also enjoyed an 126.6% increase in aircraft movements and 31.4% rise in cargo volumes compared to 2021. Queen Alia operator, Airport International Group (AIG), however, notes that […]

Qantas has announced that it will relaunch services between Perth and London, in the UK, from May 23. For the two years following its launch in March 2018, the Qantas non-stop service between Perth and London was one of the airline’s most popular and profitable routes. Perth Airport CEO Kevin Brown said it was exciting […]

The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) today released its preliminary traffic figures for March 2022 traffic which show  improved growth in international passenger demand as more Asian economies eased travel restrictions after two years of lockdowns and strict border control measures. The number of international passengers carried by the region’s airlines almost tripled to […]

Despite challenging circumstances due to multiple waves of COVID, Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) recorded its highest-ever cargo volumes in its last financial year (FY2022). The gateway reports that it handled an all-time high tonnage of 411,513 tonnes of cargo, recording a growth of 26% as against 326,643M processed in FY2021. International cargo recorded a […]

Queenstown Airport in New Zealand is gearing up for the school holiday period with two busy long weekends expected. Over Easter weekend, between Thursday April, 17 and Monday 21 April, there will be 175 flights (arrivals and departures) with 21,000 passengers anticipated to pass through the terminal. The following Friday, April 22, to Monday, April […]

Hamad International Airport’s chief operating officer, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, tells Joe Bates more about the latest traffic trends, IT innovation and expansion plans of Qatar’s gateway to the world. DOHA’S ANNUAL THROUGHPUT SOARED FROM 12.3 MILLION PASSENGERS IN 2008 TO 38.7 MILLION IN 2019 MAKING IT ONE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING AIRPORTS. WHAT […]

Emirates SkyCargo is to “reactivate” its cargo hub at Dubai World Central (DWC) for dedicated freighter aircraft operations from March 26, 2022. The move to reinstate operation at Emirates SkyCentral DWC will mark a return to dual hub cargo operations in Dubai for the air cargo carrier after a period of nearly two years. In […]

Malaysia Airports (MAHB) has revealed that its international airports are “getting ready to receive the influx of international passengers into the country” once its borders reopen on April 1, 2022. It notes that it has been continuously working with the Malaysian authorities, including the Ministry of Health (MOH), to improve the process flow at its […]

Brisbane Airport (BNE) has welcomed Emirates’ A380 back to Queensland’s skies for the first time in nearly three years, with the iconic superjumbo returning to the gateway last night. Emirates’ A380 will resume daily services between BNE and Dubai (DXB), replacing the airline’s other wide-body aircraft that serviced the route throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the […]

Melbourne Airport (MEL) today welcomed back international tourists from around the globe to Victoria for the first time in almost two years. This morning two of Melbourne’s top chefs were among those at MEL’s international terminal to provide a warm welcome to arriving passengers. Frank Camorra of MoVida and Shane Delia of Maha surprised some […]

While 2021 was a year to forget for Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) in terms of passenger traffic, the picture couldn’t have been more different for cargo, with the gateway handling five million tonnes (+12.5%) of freight. The upturn in cargo volumes ensured that the airport handled more freight last year than the 4.8 million […]

Almaty Airport, which was closed to flights for security reasons on the evening of January 5 during the events in Kazakhstan, reopened for flights today. The gateway is part of TAV Airports’ global airport network. TAV Airports president and CEO, Sani Şener, said: “Kazakhstan has a special importance for us due to our historical and […]

The state government and Perth Airport has congratulated Virgin Australia as it turns its attention to introducing new routes between Western Australia and Tasmania with the launch of a non-stop service between Perth and Launceston which commenced today. Western Australian government tourism minister, David Templeman, said he was excited to welcome the new Virgin Australia […]

Routes Asia will take place in Vietnam for the first time when Da Nang hosts the region’s 16th annual route development forum in 2022. The air transport industry and the economic benefits it brings will, of course, be critical to enabling the world’s economic recovery from COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past three years, more than […]

Preliminary June 2021 traffic figures released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) show that international passenger demand remained suppressed by ongoing tight border restrictions. Across the Asia Pacific region, many countries recorded a surge in COVID-19 transmissions caused by new variants, with limited vaccine supplies hampering vaccination progress. Indeed, the region’s airlines […]

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the newest national airline of the United Arab Emirates, today announced that it will serve 24 destinations from the UAE hub from the summer of 2022. Among the destinations are routes to Kazakhstan, Greece, Egypt, Oman, Ukraine, Israel, Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Cyprus, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. According to the […]

Cargo volumes at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) are rising, although passenger numbers continue to struggle, based on the gateway’s April traffic statistics, released today by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK). The latest totals show that the airport handled 389,000 tonnes of cargo (+15.5%) in April, and while both its passenger numbers and air traffic […]

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, visited Newcastle Airport today to announce the much-anticipated funding for a significant upgrade to the airfield that Newcastle Airport accesses from RAAF Base Williamtown. The upgrade works, which will commence this year in conjunction with the RAAF’s scheduled runway maintenance programme, will see the runway upgraded to Code E status, […]

Airports in Australia and New Zealand have been celebrating the reopening of quarantine free trans-Tasman travel for the first time in 12 months. In Brisbane, Brisbane Airport opened 16 ‘Green Lane’ services yesterday to accommodate Air New Zealand and Qantas flights between BNE and Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The airport reports that all eight arrivals […]

Asia-Pacific based airlines suffered a huge downturn in traffic in 2020, the extent of the decline being revealed today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), which says that its members handled only 18% of the passengers they boarded in 2019. The worst 12 month decline in the history of commercial aviation in the […]

Dubai Airports is gearing up for an upsurge in the number of passengers expected to pass through Dubai International (DXB) over the next few days. It is estimated that 545,000 passengers will use DXB between January 1-7, with throughput peaking on January the 2nd and 3rd when more than 78,000 travellers are expected to depart […]

Brisbane Airport (BNE) is set to welcome more than 30,000 daily passengers tomorrow for the first time since March 16, declaring the milestone a clear sign that domestic travel is recovering. Specifically, on Friday, the airport’s Domestic Terminal will see more than 16,000 arrivals and 14,000 departing passengers from a total of 309 flights. Off the back of interstate borders re-opening, […]

Dubai Airports, operator of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC), received a delegation of representatives of Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia at its corporate offices at DXB on Tuesday morning. The delegation’s visit follows the signing of a number of bilateral agreements between the two countries, and the recently announced launch […]

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) today announced that its relief package for the airport community will extend for another two months to end of October 2020 in view of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic and continuing political unrest in Hong Kong has had a huge impact on traffic at Hong […]

The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) is urging governments to ease what it claims are “unduly onerous restrictions on international air travel” to re-establish global connectivity with evidence-based measures to safeguard public health. More than six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asia Pacific air transport industry notes that it is taking initial steps […]

Today marked another milestone day in Dubai International Airport’s recovery from the COVID-19 as the UAE gateway welcomed the resumption of scheduled operations by foreign carriers. A total of 13 international airlines resumed scheduled flights this week as Dubai, and Dubai International Airport (DXB), effectively opened for business to overseas tourists from July 7. Airlines […]

Canberra Airport has announced that passengers are now able to fly without restrictions to Sydney and Melbourne. Head of aviation, Michael Thomson, said that his gateway is open for business, and passengers are safe and secure to fly to and from Melbourne and Sydney for business and leisure. “We are very excited people can now […]

Hong Kong International Airport has announced that it will commence “the gradual resumption of transfer/transit services” from Monday. Operator, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), says that a host of enhanced health measures at the airport have made the June 1 date possible. In tandem with the gradual resumption of transfer/transit services, all passengers, including departing, arriving […]

ACI Asia-Pacific believes that passenger numbers across the region have hit “rock bottom” based on new traffic figures that show a 95% decrease in throughput at 18 of the region’s busiest airports. The year-on-year traffic figures are for airports in the major aviation markets of Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. According to ACI Asia-Pacific, initial […]

Dubai World Central (DWC) registered its best year to date in 2019, handling a record 1.6 million passengers, although the figures are slightly misleading as the huge 81.5% upturn in traffic owes a lot to the transfer of flights to the airport from Dubai International (DXB) while its southern runway was being revamped. Indeed, DXB’s southern […]

Cambodia’s airports enjoyed a good 2019, with passenger numbers up by 10.2% at the country’s three main gateways – Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. A total of 11.6 million passengers passed through the airports last year as Phnom Penh handled a record six million passengers (+11.2%) and Sihanoukville 1.6 million (+158%), although traffic at […]

Auckland Airport has welcomed the announcement by Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines that they will increase flights on the Singapore to Auckland route. Currently, Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines are in a joint venture on the Singapore to Auckland route, together operating two daily services.  From October 2018 the airlines will increase to […]