China to Queensland flights to resume

China Southern Airlines will fly to Brisbane from China 4 times per week, growing to daily within two years. China was Queensland’s biggest tourism earner before Covid-19 contributing $1.61 billion in overnight visitor expenditure. It has been the largest missing link in the international recovery since the pandemic cancelled direct flights in 2020.

Over three years the reignited service will land almost 278,000 inbound seats to Brisbane, generating nearly $441 million for the visitor economy and supporting up to 1,790 Queensland jobs.

Brisbane Airport Chief Executive Officer Gert-Jan de Graaff has just returned from Guangzhou following personal negotiations with China Southern Airlines. “Currently more than half of Queensland’s visitors from China are forced to fly via Sydney or Melbourne and the rest are coming via destinations like Singapore and Hong Kong.  Today’s announcement will restore Queensland’s direct connection to our most lucrative market. No single country has a bigger impact on Queensland’s tourism industry as China. We welcome China Southern Airlines back to the BNE family, and the thousands of tourists who will follow, and the good jobs they’ll support across Queensland. The timing is perfect with the announcement on Thursday by the Chinese Government that it will allow travel agencies in China to book outbound group travel to Australia.”

Currently the number of passengers arriving from China is sitting at 12% of 2019 levels. China is also a significant source of international students. 

Cathay Pacific boosts Brisbane flights by 50%
From 1 December 2023, Cathay Pacific will increase its services from four flights per week to six, helping to support jobs for 840 Queenslanders. “This week 41 years ago we celebrated the arrival of the very first Cathay Pacific 747 to Brisbane. And today we celebrate the expansion of this service as we slowly build back to full pre-Covid recovery. Make no mistake, the link between Brisbane and Hong Kong is one of the region’s most critical for Queensland exports, and this will deliver money into the pockets of rural producers across the state, as well as local seafood companies, and of course tourism operators,” according to Oliver Philpot, Head of Aviation Marketing & Partnerships at Brisbane Airport Corporation.

Cathay Pacific is the only airline flying between Brisbane and the trade gateway of Hong Kong. “Brisbane is a key port for Cathay Pacific for both our cargo and travel services, so it’s with great pleasure that we’re increasing our flight schedule. The support from the Queensland Government and Brisbane Airport is hugely valued as we increase our service from Brisbane to Hong Kong and beyond,” says Sandeep Pillay, Cathay Pacific Acting Regional General Manager, Southwest Pacific.

The deal is the 23rd win for Queensland’s $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund, jointly supported by the Queensland Government and the state’s international airports and is designed to fast-track the recovery of Queensland’s economy.

Traffic on the rise at Brisbane
In the financial year ending June 30, more than 20 million passengers passed through Brisbane’s domestic and international terminals. “That’s an average of more than a full Suncorp Stadium of people every single day of the year travelling through our terminals, or an average 55-thousand people per day. And that’s just the passengers. On top of this, there are 24,000 people who come to work at BNE daily,” according to Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO of Brisbane Airport Corporation. “Twenty million passengers is a milestone following the pandemic. When Brisbane Airport is busy, Queensland is busy, and this is great news for the recovery of tourism and jobs right across the Sunshine State.” In 2019 before the pandemic, 23.7 million passengers passed through the airport.

FY23 Domestic Terminal: 16 million passengers 

FY23 International Terminal: 4 million passengers

In June during the final month of FY23, recovery in the Domestic Terminal was at 98% of pre-Covid (2019) capacity.  In the International Terminal, the recovery was at 77%. 

In FY23, the quietest day was Christmas Day with just 25,935 passengers in the Domestic Terminal on 25 December 2022. The busiest day saw 56,115 people move through the Domestic Terminal on 6 April 2023. The notable Brisbane services that are doing well with passenger volumes well above pre-COVID numbers:

• Moranbah had 86,864 passengers more than FY19 (+49%)  
• Hobart had 58,102 passengers more than FY19 (+24%)  
• Albury had 46,057 passengers (new market, did not operate in FY19)  
• Launceston had 44,201 passengers more than FY19 (+37%)  
• Hamilton Island had 42,379 passengers more than FY19 (+34%)  

New Zealand remains the number one international market for Brisbane. The United Kingdom has risen to be the 3rd biggest market (from 5th in FY19). India has rocketed up to be Brisbane’s 5th biggest market (was 7th in FY19) despite not having a direct service. Fiji has performed strongly and has grown above FY19 volumes (108% restoration) as an attractive and safe outbound leisure destination. Tourists flying into BNE can connect to the largest domestic destinations network in Australia, with 52 towns and cities to choose from, 30 of them in Queensland.

Top 15 International Markets in FY23 (ranked by size in FY23)  

Brisbane Airport is connected to 27 international destinations with direct flights, with capacity expected to slowly grow to meet demand throughout the year. To cater for population growth, Brisbane Airport is embarking on a $5+ billion Future BNE investment program as it prepares for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, and beyond.

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