Melbourne Tullamarine Airport handles record intl pax in Mar-2026

Melbourne Tullamarine Airport reported (14-Apr-2026) it handled more than one million passengers in Mar-2026, an increase of 6.9% year-on-year and a new record for the month of March. The airport handled 3.1 million passengers during the month, an increase of 6.3%, driven by "strong interest in the Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix" and the Labour Day long weekend. The airport stated the performance was achieved "despite airspace closures that forced the cancellation of numerous services" operated by Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways. The airport welcomed daily Indonesia AirAsia service from Bali and Singapore Airlines deployment of A380 equipment on one of its five daily frequencies during Mar-2026. Airport CEO Lorie Argus stated: "While Middle East services are progressively resuming and stabilising, it has been pleasing to see other airlines add capacity to Melbourne, with demand for connections through Southeast Asia, China and North American hubs particularly strong and load factors correspondingly high". Ms Argus added: "Even as cost of living pressures mount, we expect to see people prioritising travel to connect with friends, family or experiences both here in Melbourne, as well as interstate and overseas. We know oil prices will put pressure on both airlines and consumers in the short to medium term, but our investments highlight our commitment to look beyond the current challenges and deliver much needed capacity for airlines and travellers". [more - original PR]