Melbourne Tullamarine Airport reports record international pax for FY2026
Melbourne Tullamarine Airport reported (13-Jul-2026) FY2026, ended 30-Jun-2026, was its busiest 12 months on record for international travel. Details include:
- International passenger numbers increased 2.5% year-on-year to 12.3 million, exceeding 12 million for the first time;
- Dec-2025 was the airport's busiest month on record with 3.4 million passengers;
- Passenger numbers were down slightly in Jun-2026. Seat capacity to Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi progressively resumed, but is yet to return to pre-conflict levels;
- Top foreign arrivals by passport country of origin in FY2026:
- China: 636,245, +8%;
- New Zealand: 517,943, +1.3%;
- India: 323,308, -4.9%;
- UK: 201,261, +9.4%;
- US: 142,339, +7.9%. [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Melbourne Tullamarine Airport’s monthly traffic was mixed in 2026, with Mar-2026 up 6.3% to 3.1 million passengers, including a record one million international travellers for March, supported by Formula 1 demand and added Bali and A380 capacity from Indonesia AirAsia and Singapore Airlines respectively1 2. However, Apr-2026 and May-2026 traffic fell around three% year-on-year, with international down 7.1% and five% respectively3 4. The airport attributed Apr-2026 international weakness to a 67.6% Middle East seat-capacity decline, partially offset by Singapore Airlines and China Southern Airlines5. Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said Emirates returned to twice-daily Dubai and Qatar Airways planned double-daily Doha from Jun-2026, but still below pre-conflict schedules5.