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Australia’s domestic passenger numbers drifted lower in February
May 13th 2025
Airlines in Australia flew 4.4 million passengers on domestic flights in February, a decline of 4.8% from the 4.6 million air travellers they carried in the same month in 2024. Read More » The February results snapped a run of six consecutive months of Australia’s airlines transporting more than five million domestic passengers per month. Capacity (available seat kilometres) declined 6.2% in the 28 days, Australia’s Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) said. Passenger load factor eased 0.1 of a percentage point to 80.5%, it added. Despite the dip in demand February was the eighth consecutive month that combined domestic passenger load factor exceeded 80%. Passengers carried on Australia’s busiest domestic route - Melbourne-Sydney – declined 7.9% to 627,900 air travellers, BITRE said. In February thousands of passengers were stranded when extreme weather and an air traffic controller shortage resulted in scores of flight delays and cancellations at Sydney Airport, Australia’s busiest airport by passengers. Elsewhere, Townsville Airport closed in early February because of flooding in North Queensland.
