List of the busiest airports in Australia
 | This article needs to be updated. (May 2023) |
This is a list of the busiest airports in Australia by passenger traffic, passenger movements and aircraft movements.
Top 50 airports by revenue passenger traffic
[edit]This is a list of the revenue passenger traffic by airport from 2023 to 2024, compiled by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.[1]
| Rank (2023-24) | Airport | Location | State/territory | Domestic revenue passengers | International revenue passengers | Total revenue passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney Airport | Sydney | New South Wales | 24,720,397 | 15,847,476 | 40,567,873 |
| 2 | Melbourne Airport | Melbourne | Victoria | 23,879,584 | 10,962,676 | 34,842,260 |
| 3 | Brisbane Airport | Brisbane | Queensland | 16,657,146 | 5,576,987 | 22,234,133 |
| 4 | Perth Airport | Perth | Western Australia | 8,456,662 | 4,330,306 | 12,786,968 |
| 5 | Adelaide Airport | Adelaide | South Australia | 7,297,551 | 951,210 | 8,248,761 |
| 6 | Gold Coast Airport | Gold Coast | Queensland | 5,613,782 | 708,104 | 6,321,886 |
| 7 | Cairns Airport | Cairns | Queensland | 4,035,800 | 598,832 | 4,634,632 |
| 8 | Canberra Airport | Canberra | Australian Capital Territory | 2,794,200 | 26,195 | 2,820,395 |
| 9 | Hobart Airport | Hobart | Tasmania | 2,651,674 | 25,758 | 2,677,432 |
| 10 | Sunshine Coast Airport | Sunshine Coast | Queensland | 1,884,990 | 12,594 | 1,897,584 |
| 11 | Darwin Airport | Darwin | Northern Territory | 1,593,329 | 188,352 | 1,781,681 |
| 12 | Townsville Airport | Townsville | Queensland | 1,671,367 | 0 | 1,671,367 |
| 13 | Launceston Airport | Launceston | Tasmania | 1,412,989 | 0 | 1,412,989 |
| 14 | Newcastle Airport | Newcastle | New South Wales | 1,201,167 | 0 | 1,201,167 |
| 15 | Mackay Airport | Mackay | Queensland | 911,711 | 0 | 911,711 |
| 16 | Rockhampton Airport | Rockhampton | Queensland | 656,238 | 0 | 656,238 |
| 17 | Ballina Byron Gateway Airport | Ballina, New South Wales | New South Wales | 620,258 | 0 | 620,258 |
| 18 | Karratha Airport | Karratha | Western Australia | 578,078 | 0 | 578,078 |
| 19 | Whitsunday Coast Airport | Proserpine | Queensland | 506,464 | 0 | 506,464 |
| 20 | Hamilton Island Airport | Hamilton Island | Queensland | 489,740 | 0 | 489,740 |
| 21 | Port Hedland International Airport | Port Hedland | Western Australia | 479,295 | 0 | 479,295 |
| 22 | Broome International Airport | Broome | Western Australia | 439,453 | 0 | 439,453 |
| 23 | Newman Airport | Newman | Western Australia | 372,181 | 0 | 372,181 |
| 24 | Alice Springs Airport | Alice Springs | Northern Territory | 367,236 | 0 | 367,236 |
| 25 | Kalgoorlie–Boulder Airport | Kalgoorlie | Western Australia | 361,876 | 0 | 361,876 |
| 26 | Ayers Rock Airport | Yulara | Northern Territory | 283,551 | 0 | 283,551 |
| 27 | Albury Airport | Albury | New South Wales | 276,473 | 0 | 276,473 |
| 28 | Paraburdoo Airport | Paraburdoo | Western Australia | 263,370 | 0 | 263,370 |
| 29 | Coffs Harbour Airport | Coffs Harbour | New South Wales | 263,141 | 0 | 263,141 |
| 30 | Gladstone Airport | Gladstone | Queensland | 240,229 | 0 | 240,229 |
| 31 | Mount Isa Airport | Mount Isa | Queensland | 232,297 | 0 | 232,297 |
| 32 | Mildura Airport | Mildura | Victoria | 231,854 | 0 | 231,854 |
| 33 | Port Macquarie Airport | Port Macquarie | New South Wales | 226,932 | 0 | 226,932 |
| 34 | Wagga Wagga Airport | Wagga Wagga | New South Wales | 201,614 | 0 | 201,614 |
| 35 | Emerald Airport | Emerald | Queensland | 195,908 | 0 | 195,908 |
| 36 | Dubbo Airport | Dubbo | New South Wales | 195,095 | 0 | 195,095 |
| 37 | Tamworth Airport | Tamworth | New South Wales | 172,980 | 0 | 172,980 |
| 38 | Port Lincoln Airport | Port Lincoln | South Australia | 171,635 | 0 | 171,635 |
| 39 | Bundaberg Airport | Bundaberg | Queensland | 165,224 | 0 | 165,224 |
| 40 | Hervey Bay Airport | Hervey Bay | Queensland | 154,744 | 0 | 154,744 |
| 41 | Devonport Airport | Devonport | Tasmania | 121,562 | 0 | 121,562 |
| 42 | Moranbah Airport | Moranbah | Queensland | 111,076 | 0 | 111,076 |
| 43 | Horn Island Airport | Thursday Island[a] | Queensland | 110,267 | 0 | 110,267 |
| 44 | Geraldton Airport | Geraldton | Western Australia | 109,887 | 0 | 109,887 |
| 45 | Armidale Airport | Armidale | New South Wales | 105,691 | 0 | 105,691 |
| 46 | Olympic Dam Airport | Olympic Dam | South Australia | 103,589 | 0 | 103,589 |
| 47 | Learmonth Airport | Exmouth | Western Australia | 103,108 | 0 | 103,108 |
| 48 | Orange Airport | Orange | New South Wales | 99,332 | 0 | 99,332 |
| 49 | East Kimberley Regional Airport | Kununurra | Western Australia | 98,605 | 0 | 98,605 |
| 50 | Weipa Airport | Weipa | Queensland | 89,971 | 0 | 89,971 |
Note: data not available for Avalon Airport; regular public transport operations only.
Top 10 airports by passenger movements
[edit]This is a list of the busiest airports in Australia by passenger movements (both inbound and outbound) compiled by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.[2]
| Rank | Airport | Location | IATA | 1985–86 | 1990–91 | 1995–96 | 2000–01 | 2005–06 | 2010–11 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney Airport | Sydney, New South Wales | SYD | 9,498,000 | 12,361,000 | 19,878,000 | 25,814,000 | 28,996,000 | 35,958,000 | 41,105,000 | 42,614,000 | 44,035,000 | 44,376,000 | 32,195,000 | 7,804,000 | 13,670,000 |
| 2 | Melbourne Airport | Melbourne, Victoria | MEL | 6,476,000 | 8,346,000 | 12,972,000 | 16,881,000 | 21,041,000 | 27,963,000 | 33,705,000 | 34,878,000 | 36,319,000 | 37,057,000 | 27,003,000 | 6,106,000 | 12,817,000 |
| 3 | Brisbane Airport | Brisbane, Queensland | BNE | 3,457,000 | 5,246,000 | 9,236,000 | 12,467,000 | 16,016,000 | 19,975,000 | 22,320,000 | 22,653,000 | 23,238,000 | 23,623,000 | 17,805,000 | 7,530,000 | 10,023,000 |
| 4 | Perth Airport | Perth, Western Australia | PER | 1,939,000 | 2,508,000 | 4,145,000 | 5,162,000 | 7,005,000 | 10,890,000 | 12,558,000 | 12,453,000 | 12,433,000 | 12,406,000 | 9,346,000 | 3,262,000 | 4,757,000 |
| 5 | Adelaide Airport | Adelaide, South Australia | ADL | 2,082,000 | 2,461,000 | 3,743,000 | 4,443,000 | 5,767,000 | 7,279,000 | 7,778,000 | 7,999,000 | 8,274,000 | 8,368,000 | 6,246,000 | 2,751,000 | 3,821,000 |
| 6 | Gold Coast Airport | Gold Coast, Queensland | OOL | 778,000 | 1,090,000 | 1,993,000 | 1,888,000 | 3,515,000 | 5,486,000 | 6,273,000 | 6,457,000 | 6,541,000 | 6,414,000 | 4,779,000 | 2,002,000 | 2,996,000 |
| 7 | Cairns Airport | Cairns, Queensland | CNS | 578,000 | 1,288,000 | 2,595,000 | 2,891,000 | 3,731,000 | 3,859,000 | 4,711,000 | 4,898,000 | 4,969,000 | 4,859,000 | 3,472,000 | 2,082,000 | 2,625,000 |
| 8 | Hobart Airport | Hobart, Tasmania | HBA | 506,000 | 590,000 | 850,000 | 974,000 | 1,606,000 | 1,903,000 | 2,313,000 | 2,441,000 | 2,596,000 | 2,726,000 | 2,074,000 | 1,037,000 | 1,506,000 |
| 9 | Canberra Airport | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | CBR | 1,008,000 | 1,124,000 | 1,750,000 | 2,107,000 | 2,550,000 | 3,241,000 | 2,831,000 | 3,013,000 | 3,179,000 | 3,218,000 | 2,350,000 | 1,045,000 | 1,286,000 |
| 10 | Townsville Airport | Townsville, Queensland | TSV | 1,030,000 | 512,000 | 598,000 | 732,000 | 1,161,000 | 1,630,000 | 1,530,000 | 1,535,000 | 1,627,000 | 1,594,000 | 1,216,000 | 976,000 | 1,195,000 |
Note: Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Darwin Airport ranked 10.
Top 10 airports by aircraft movements
[edit]This is a list of the busiest airports in Australia by aircraft movements compiled by Airservices Australia,[3] this list includes regular public transport operations and private operations.
| Rank | Airport | Location | IATA | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parafield Airport | Adelaide, South Australia | N/A | 158,268 | 177,432 | 228,290 | 235,384 | 272,646 |
| 2 | Moorabbin Airport | Melbourne, Victoria | MBW | 256,644 | 264,734 | 252,218 | 242,542 | 268,054 |
| 3 | Sydney Airport | Sydney, New South Wales | SYD | 308,342 | 281,738 | 304,938 | 336,956 | 267,862 |
| 4 | Archerfield Airport | Brisbane, Queensland | N/A | 182,682 | 141,466 | 118,354 | 133,872 | 196,708 |
| 5 | Bankstown Airport | Sydney, New South Wales | BWU | 298,798 | 275,846 | 275,978 | 220,166 | 235,048 |
| 6 | Jandakot Airport | Perth, Western Australia | JAD | 265,700 | 372,300 | 295,516 | 222,874 | 226,932 |
| 7 | Melbourne Airport | Melbourne, Victoria | MEL | 174,462 | 180,278 | 205,202 | 235,314 | 188,560 |
| 8 | Brisbane Airport | Brisbane, Queensland | BNE | 169,198 | 164,538 | 187,956 | 220,154 | 173,426 |
| 9 | Perth Airport | Perth, Western Australia | PER | 103,198 | 101,648 | 124,640 | 138,728 | 118,466 |
| 10 | Adelaide Airport | Adelaide, South Australia | ADL | 112,554 | 106,840 | 101,560 | 106,630 | 87,482 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Thursday Island is listed as the name in the dataset, however, the airport is located on Horn Island, about 8km from Thursday Island.
References
[edit]- ^ "Airport Traffic Data 1985–86 to 2023–24—XLSX". Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). 3 February 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Airport Traffic Data" (XLS). Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. 2022. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "Movements at Australian airports". Airservices Australia. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.