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Melbourne Airport passenger performance December 2021

Direct News Source

Christmas travel and the progressive re-opening of interstate borders combined to drive a surge in MelbourneAirport's passenger numbers in December. Total traveller numbers for the month were up 46% on the previous year, with 1,115,233 people passingthrough Melbourne Airport's four terminals. That included 135,823 overseas travellers, which was the highest monthly figure since the international border closure in March 2020. Melbourne Airport also recorded a record number of freight movements, with 1,696 cargo flights (964 domestic and 732 international) helping to put presents under Christmas trees and Victoria's fresh produce on dinner tables overseas. While passenger numbers for the first half of the financial year were double what they were in 2020, they remain down more than 89% on the corresponding period in 2019 (19,309,348 passengers). Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Lorie Argus said the emergence of the Omicron variant would impact the remainder of the summer travel period. "The increasing number of cases around the country has forced hundreds of airline staff into isolation andprompted thousands of holidaymakers to cancel or postpone their plans", she said. "The shift away from pre-departure testing for domestic travel is welcome and given the high levels of Covid-19 present in the Australian community, the federal government should now scrap the requirement for fully vaccinated international passengers to undertake pre-departure tests before flying to Australia. "The fear of being stuck overseas because of a positive test result is a major deterrent for many Australians considering an overseas holiday, and it's clear this requirement now provides no public health benefit and serves no useful purpose. "Aviation's recovery depends on passengers having certainty, and it is important that governments provide that at every possible opportunity". Passenger figures for December 2021:

Passengers December 2021 December 2020 Growth (%)*
International 135,823 17,573 +672%
Domestic 979,410 746,369 +31%
Total (ex transits) 1,115,233 763,942 +46%
*Monthly percentage growth compared to December 2020


Passenger figures for Financial Year to December
Passengers Financial Year 2021/22 Financial Year 2020/21 Growth (%)*
International 268,113 84,155 +219%
Domestic 1,826,843 982,155 +90%
Total (ex transits) 2,131,956 1,066,310 +100%
*percentage growth compared to FY 2020/21


For further information please contact Melbourne Airport media on +61 3 9335 3666.

This press release was sourced from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport on 19-Jan-2022.