Air visits reach new high for fiscal year

A RECORD 1.67 million passengers have passed through Townsville Airport during the past financial year.

The latest data showed that in the 2018 financial year, 1,670,143 passengers passed through the airport – up from 1,576,500 in the previous year, marking the airport’s busiest fiscal year on record.

The statistics reveal passenger numbers have increased 5.9 per cent at Townsville Airport in the past 12 months, with the domestic market driving growth.

Queensland Airports Ltd CEO Chris Mills said Townsville had seen steady growth.

“Growth in the domestic market is a positive outcome following a 1.6 per cent decline in the previous financial year,” he said. “The first half of this year has been strong, but a reduction in domestic and international airline capacity may constrain passenger growth in coming months.”

Townsville Airport achieved a record month for passenger numbers in January 2018, and clocked up 10 consecutive months of growth up to April.

This is despite Jetstar’s decision to pull out of its Townsville to Bali service in March this year.

In June JetGo’s Townsville to Gold Coast via Rockhampton service ceased operating after the company went into voluntary administration.

Townsville Enterprise tourism and events director Bridget Woods said the latest airport figures demonstrated the city was continuing to develop across a number of sectors including tourism which was a result of the combined marketing efforts between the airport, Townsville Enterprise, Tourism and Events Queensland and airline partners.

“These figures also highlight the experiences delivered by our tourism operators are striking a chord with holiday makers down south who are choosing Townsville North Queensland as their holiday destination,” she said.